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Shorten not budging on building watchdog

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the case for re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission has not been made.

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten
Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten is not in favour of re-establishing a building industry watchdog (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Source: AAP

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Source: AAP


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Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the case has not been made for re-establishing a building industry watchdog.

In light of findings from the trade union royal commission, the government will again pursue legislation to create the Australian Building and Construction Commission when parliament resumes next month.

"It creates a different set of rules for construction workers to everyone else and that case hasn't been made out," he told reporters in Queanbeyan on Tuesday.

Mr Shorten, who was making his first public comments on the commission's report since returning from holidays, said his party will study the recommendations.

Labor will also look at the government's final response when it's released and its push to again set up a Registered Organisations Commission.

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"We have got to fight corruption wherever we see it, not just in unions, not just in corporate Australia, but in every aspect, because Australians have got to have faith in their institutions," he said.

Mr Shorten, a former union leader, admitted the commission did find "some examples of bad behaviour within some parts of the union movement".

"It certainly did uncover things which certainly meet the displeasure and the outrage of the Labor side of politics, as well as the Liberal side of politics," he said.

"I despise thievery, I despise people taking money from union members, but what I also recognise is that the Australian trade union movement has a very good record for standing up for workers."


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