Pink batts inquiry resumes in Brisbane

The royal commission into the Rudd government's home insulation program will resume in Brisbane on Thursday.

The inquiry is investigating what warnings Labor received about the troubled scheme and whether the deaths of four young workers could have been avoided.

Public servants and insulation industry representatives will give evidence until May 9, before a long-awaited week of evidence from the ex-ministers who headed the stimulus program.

Former Labor senator Mark Arbib, environment minister Peter Garrett, prime minister Kevin Rudd and frontbencher Greg Combet are scheduled to take the witness stand from May 12 to 16.

The families of the four men who died under the botched scheme will also be permitted to address the inquiry.

Queenslanders Matthew Fuller, Rueben Barnes, Mitchell Sweeney, and Marcus Wilson from NSW, all died while installing insulation.

A coroner has already found the scheme's rushed rollout was a significant factor in the Queensland men's deaths.

The royal commission has heard how public servants scrambled to roll out the program in 2009, with revelations two public servants were given two days to cost it.

It's also been told that Mr Rudd's office believed job creation would be compromised if training requirements for the scheme were "too onerous".

The scheme ended up being flooded by low-skilled workers who only required a general safety induction before entering ceilings.

Lawyer Bill Potts is representing Rueben Barnes's father Murray, who wants to see the former government take responsibility for the disastrous program.

Mr Potts says the families of the four men deserve answers from the $20 million inquiry, and not just "crocodile tears".

The royal commission before Ian Hanger QC is scheduled to finish on May 16.

Mr Hanger is expected to deliver his findings by June 30.