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In mid 2005, the Building Construction Industry Improvement Act was rushed through parliament with very little media attention (the well documented sale of Telstra, which was unfolding at the same time, kept most news outlets otherwise occupied). The Act saw the implementation of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), a watchdog which would exist to enforce workplace laws and address problems within Australia’s building industry. However, the experiences of many instead paint the ABCC as one that isolates and threatens the rights of construction workers; limiting their right to silence, to organise in a union, and the right to strike through fines and imprisonment. Constructing Fear, by director Joe loh, tells the story of the reform- one which is unfamiliar to many of us, and how it affected the builders, labourers, tradesmen and safety officers at whom it was targeted. The documentary recently premiered around Australia and can now be downloaded here. It’s a fascinating story (and an ironic one, given Australia’s obsession with housing and property) that affects all working Australians and in particular, those concerned or confused by the recently introduced work choices laws.