Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Terry works in a newsagent in my electorate. Terry says he works on Sundays and sacrifices time with his family and friends at important events like birthdays to provide for his partner and a 4½-year-old son. Terry stands to lose almost $4,000 a year because of the Prime Minister's support for cutting penalty rates. He says the cut to penalty rates will just mean the same work for less money. Why won't the Prime Minister use his power to stop Terry's pay cut?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. I answer the question in the words of her leader: 'An independent umpire is fundamental to the industrial relations system in Australia.'

A government member: Who said that?

That was said by her leader. He said:

I think it is an anathema to the best interests of working people to start handing to a politicised Parliament control of wage rates in this country. You know—

said the honourable member's leader—

I see some on the Greens and far left say, well that's a simple answer, don't have an independent umpire. My concern is that would be loading a gun for a future conservative Government to pull the trigger and attack penalty rates.

We are a conservative government—a Liberal-National government. We are supporting the independent umpire, which the honourable member's party established, referred the issue to, appointed the members of and stood beside and stood up for until political cynicism, populism, overtook them. They abandoned the principle that the Labor movement had adopted for 120 years.