SHORTEN LABOR GOVERNMENT WILL BAN THE IMPORTATION OF FLAMMABLE CLADDING

The Turnbull Government must commit to banning the importation of highly flammable polyethylene (PE) cladding to protect Australians in their homes and workplaces. 

 

If Mr Turnbull fails to act, a Shorten Labor Government will impose a ban as matter of urgency upon taking office.

 

Malcolm Turnbull has the perfect opportunity to gain the states’ support on banning the importation of PE aluminium composite panels when the Building Ministers’ Forum meets tomorrow.  

 

The cladding ban is desperately needed to protect the Australian public from dangerous fires – such as those seen at the Lacrosse Tower fire in November 2014.

 

We already know that unsafe cladding kills. We need to do everything we can to protect Australians from a tragedy like Grenfell in the United Kingdom.

 

The Senate inquiry into non-conforming building products has already called for urgent action, including an import ban on highly combustible panels, based on the testimony of expert witnesses including fire safety authorities from around Australia.

 

The Property Council of Australia has also called for an importation ban and an audit of existing buildings.

 

The Queensland Government has declared Friday’s Building Ministers’ Forum is D-Day and it will push for the adoption of a national ban of PE cladding.  

 

The deregulation agenda in the building industry that has been underway since the 1990s has failed to protect public safety and it is time to restore public accountability.

 

The Government has consistently claimed that the National Construction Code is adequate, but has done nothing to remedy the clear dangers created by the failure to enforce the code.

 

Each day the Turnbull Government fails to respond to the widespread misuse of these dangerous products, more Australian lives are being put at risk.

 

Malcolm Turnbull must bring an end to the regulatory buck passing and shirking his responsibility to protect the Australian public.

 

Australians deserve to feel safe – especially in their own homes and workplaces.

 

If the Turnbull Government won’t fix this mess, a Shorten Labor Government will.

 

More information on this announcement can be found here.