Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:32): My question is to the Premier. Has the Premier received any meeting requests from local businesses regarding their treatment by the CFMEU and, if so, how has he responded?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:32): In the same context as the earlier question from the member for Colton, I understand the member for Colton was referring to correspondence received from members of the public but not necessarily any businesses per se. That said, more informally I have had contact with members of the construction industry just by way of text message, phone calls and the like.

The member Colton might be surprised to learn that I have regular contact with representatives of the construction industry. That's something that I value greatly. As I think I have said previously, my government enjoys a really good working relationship with the Master Builders Association, but a number of their members I am in contact with on a more personal level; they have my mobile number. I have been in receipt of text messages more recently, just in the last 24 hours, including one member in particular who I will engage with as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

We understand some of the challenges that exist within the construction industry at the moment, in terms of not just industrial relations but access to skills more broadly. We have a range of policies in place to satisfy—when I say satisfy their needs, to seek to address their legitimate needs. That's one of the reasons why the Minister for Education is actively building five brand-new technical colleges throughout the state of South Australia. It's why we are investing in TAFE. It's why we have pursued a number of policies in conjunction with the Master Builders Association, including programs to attract young people to participate in the building industry more broadly.

It is why we enjoy their counsel in respect of other legislative changes that the government is committed to, including the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws. So we value the relationships we have with both business and the labour movement more broadly to try to strike that balance that I was speaking to earlier.