Abbott says he will fight to keep ABCC

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the coalition will fight to save the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) "with every breath in our political bodies".

Prime Minister Julia Gillard plans to replace the ABCC with the Fair Work Building Inspectorate, under Fair Work Australia.

The coalition opposes the legislation and Mr Abbott has promised to restore the commission if he wins office.

He says he regards the establishment of the ABCC as one of the great achievements of the Howard era.

He told the Master Builders Association annual conference in Melbourne on Friday he feared the proposed body would be a toothless tiger that would allow union "thugs" to dominate the industry once more.

"The coalition will support the ABCC with every breath in our political bodies," he told the conference.

"If we lose this fight in the parliament we will restore the ABCC at the first available opportunity.

"We will restore it with new vigour because commercial construction without a strong cop on the beat will once again be a lawless industry and we will need to come again to the rescue of this industry in the future, as we have in the past."

Mr Abbott said Fair Work Australia's track record in dealing with accusations in the Health Services Union (HSU) gave him little confidence it could handle the problems in the construction sector.

He said the four-year investigation into the HSU was a disgrace.

"For an organisation that administers an act which is supposed to improve workplace productivity, Fair Work Australia's own productivity has to be questioned," he said.

"If it takes the Fair Work agency over three years to manage one single investigation into the activities of one union, how are they going to manage multiple investigations into a sector which is dominated by some of the toughest employers and some of the most militant unions in this country.

"So I think your industry faces a very serious few months ... if the Australian Building and Construction Commission even in its emasculated state, is replaced with what looks increasingly like a toothless tiger designed to sweep under the carpet the problems in this industry and to allow the thugs once more to dominate the workplace."