BILL HOFFMAN, bill.hoffman@scnews.com.au28th Nov 2019 5:46 PM
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SUBCONTRACTORS damaged by a string of insolvencies in the Queensland construction industry that left more than half a billion dollars in unpaid creditors say they have a right to justice.
Speaking after the tabling in State Parliament today of the Special Joint Taskforce report into fraud, Subcontractors Alliance head Les Williams renewed calls for an independent inquiry with Royal Commission powers to investigate alleged regulatory failures by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission and whether its actions may have facilitated insolvent trading schemes.
The Queensland Government has announced it would implement all 10 recommendations of the wide-ranging Special Joint Taskforce investigation into fraud in the state’s multibillion-dollar construction sector.
Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni has revealed the taskforce’s investigation, launched after News Corp’s Back Our Subbies campaign, had already led to two matters being brought before the Southport Magistrates Court.
He said investigations into another 72 matters were in progress.
“Into the future we expect to see a very high rate of subcontractors being paid on time and in full,” he said.
Mr Williams said given the definition of fraud in the report; the magnitude of insolvent trading schemes in the Queensland industry; the nature of those schemes; the obvious parties to the schemes and the $500 million impact to more than 7000 trade creditors identified in News’ Corp campaign, it would appear that the Special Joint Taskforce had failed to come to grips with the situation.
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