Exclusive: Pocock warns Labor not to axe union-hunting watchdog for ‘ideology’ reasons | AngusGthompson
Newly elected independent senator David Pocock has warned that the Albanese government’s plan to axe the union-hunting construction watchdog shouldn’t be driven by ideology, saying 1.2 million workers could be left out in the cold, in an early sign Labor faces crossbench resistance to its industrial agenda.
Pocock said a “mature debate” needed to be had about the commission’s removal, prioritising the wellbeing of workers. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the agency would be defunded this financial year, and, in response to questions about the remaining cases, said no agency that prosecuted unions over the display of the Eureka flag at worksites deserved to use taxpayers’ money.
“What are the checks and balances that we actually have in place for such a huge industry? There has been a lot of criticism of the ABCC, and a lot of them are justified, but there have been clear cases where they’ve found wrongdoing,” he said.
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