Following the revelation that Family First Senator Bob Day and One Nation Senator Rod Culleton face High Court action over the validity of their election, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday confirmed that the Government won’t reintroduce the ABCC and Registered Organisations bills to the Senate until it has the numbers to win their passage:

“We will continue to talk to the crossbench and when we believe there is a majority there to support it, we will present the bills … There’s no change there.”

Importantly, the Prime Minister rejected suggestions that the Senate was in ‘chaos’ and that the Government would be forced to wait until the High Court outcome before it could reintroduce the bills. Whilst the exact timing remains unknown at this time, the ABCC Bill may be re-introduced as early as 21 November, when the final sitting fortnight for 2016 in the Senate begins.

Master Builders will continue to keep members up-to-date with developments.