In an interim report, the CFMEU inquiry commissioner called for urgent changes in the states construction industry.
Labor leader Steven Miles has accepted responsibility for the Best Practice Industry Conditions policy, and acknowledged it left the door open to CFMEU misuse.
Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles has apologised for Labor's controversial construction wages policy, after a CFMEU inquiry found it inflated costs on three major taxpayer-funded projects.
The commission of inquiry led by Stuart Wood KC is investigating alleged union misconduct in Queensland.
In an interim report released late yesterday, Commissioner Wood was scathing of the former government's Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) policy, which set wages and conditions on government projects.
He described BPIC as "damaging", finding it had driven up construction costs by at least 20 per cent across three projects examined by the inquiry — Brisbane's Cross River Rail, the Centenary Bridge upgrade and the Gold Coast Light Rail.
Commissioner Wood described the estimate as "conservative", warning the true financial toll could be higher because it excluded costs associated with project delays.
On Thursday, Mr Miles said he "accepted responsibility" for the policy, introduced under his predecessor Annastacia Palaszczuk, but maintained it had been "well-intentioned".
"I acted when I could but I accept that I could have and should have acted sooner — and for not acting…
