Michaelia Cash on the government's push to restore the ABCC - as a tough watchdog on the construction industry

As the government turns up the heat over its Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation, Employment Michaelia Cash reveals to Michelle Grattan she is willing to agree to senator David Leyonhjelm’s call for a sunset clause. “David has raised that with me and … yes, I would accept an eight-year sunset clause,” she says. She says in that time the ABCC would demonstrably prove its worth in curbing lawlessness in the construction industry and improving productivity. In the aftermath of the trade union royal commission, Cash talks about a restored ABCC’s powers, proposed revamped registered organisations legislation and double dissolution triggers. Cash, also Minister for Women, outlines plans for promoting gender equality in the public service and calls on the Liberal Party across Australia to undertake “audits” on female participation. Mentioned in this episode:Your support mattersSupport non-profit journalism you can trust. Donations 2025The Making of an AutocratSearch: "The Conversation Weekly" for our new series. Is America watching its democracy unravel in real time? In The Making of an Autocrat from The Conversation, six of the world’s pre-eminant scholars reveal the recipe for authoritarian rule. From capturing a party, to controlling the military, Donald Trump is borrowing from the playbook of strongmen thoughout history. This is the story of how democracies falter — and what might happen next.