The Karl Stefanovic Show “The Government Despises Small Business” — Builder Explodes
4 snips
Mar 27, 2026 Scott Challen, a licensed Queensland builder with 17 years in the industry, speaks up for construction small businesses. He describes how fuel spikes, supply shocks and government costs are crushing builders. He warns of looming mass insolvencies, a skills shortage worsened by migration policy, and urgent relief measures to avert wider social and economic fallout.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Builder Breaks Down Emotional Toll On Small Firms
- Scott Challen described staring at a jobsite after days of supplier price-rise emails and feeling completely done.
- He said builders have been 'kicked in the face nonstop since 2020' and that many surviving firms now stare into an abyss with 'nothing left in the tank'.
Fuel And Supply Shocks Erase Builder Margins
- Rising input costs (fuel, materials, logistics) are wiping out profits on fixed-price building contracts.
- Scott warned construction costs could blow out by 20%+ within weeks, leaving many contracts with no profit left.
Migration Did Not Fix The Trades Shortage
- Mass immigration after COVID delivered less than 2% migrants with construction skills, so it didn't fill trade shortages.
- Scott contrasted past European migration (Skilled carpenters/concreters) with recent inflows that largely lack industry trade capability.