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Subbies staunch up over construction sector bad behaviour

Maria Slade
Maria Slade
Mon, 06 Jul 2026
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Subbies staunch up over construction sector bad behaviour
Subbies have more power than they think, construction contract lawyers say. (Image: © Brendan Boughen, Cartoons by Jim)
Six electricians sat in a Penrose training room.No, this isn’t the start of a cheesy joke. For these tradies, it is a serious exercise in schooling up.Master Electricians has been running classes in construction contract law since a couple of high-profile cases highlighted the need for its members to become better educated about their rights.Legal action over the status of $2.1 million in retentions owed to subcontractors after the 2019 Stanley Group collapse is still before the Court of Appeal, while similar issues over $3.2m in retentio...
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