Labor has welcomed new measures to give Australian business an advantage in bidding for taxpayer-funded projects, but warns they come at the expense of losing other civil liberties.
The federal government gave in to a demand by Senator Nick Xenophon late on Tuesday night, by announcing new commonwealth procurement rules in exchange for his support for restoring a building industry watchdog.
Opposition industry spokesman Kim Carr said the change was very good, but told ABC radio on Wednesday: "Why does that have to come at the price of the civil liberties of other Australians?"
