Kelly O'Dwyer's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
Corporations Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Employee Entitlements) Bill 2018; Consideration of Senate Message | Bills | House debates
Since my colleague opposite has decided to speak on this, I might just thank him and the opposition for agreeing to the government's bill. It is very important that workers' entitlements are...
Since my colleague opposite has decided to speak on this, I might just thank him and the opposition for agreeing to the government's bill. It is very important that workers' entitlements are protected. That is what the government is doing. It's quite wrong when the Australian taxpayer is asked to pick up the tab because of a deliberate structural decision made by unscrupulous employers who are seeking to shift their responsibilities to someone else. We will not stand for that. We have noticed that there has been an explosion in claims under the FEG scheme. We will not stand for it. We will not see the Australian taxpayer ripped off and we will not see workers ripped off. I'd like to thank those opposite for the constructive manner in which they have looked at this bill. Where the amendments of the opposition will do no harm, we will not stand in the way of those amendments. We have made some improvements to the bill, and I thank those opposite for their cooperation in relation to those matters. As a result, we can come together, stand together and say that this is indeed a bill that will improve the lives of many millions of Australians. Question agreed to.
I move: That the amendments be agreed to.
Economy | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member for Forrest for her question. She, like every member on this side of the chamber, has worked hard to get the budget back on track and, as the Treasurer has said, back in the...
I thank the member for Forrest for her question. She, like every member on this side of the chamber, has worked hard to get the budget back on track and, as the Treasurer has said, back in the black for the first time in 12 years. The last time that Labor was able to deliver a surplus was 30 long years ago. Our economic plan is working. Unemployment is at a decade low, at 4.9 per cent. When those opposite were in government, of course, unemployment leapt up to 5.7 per cent. The economy under us continues to grow, and there are more Australians in work than ever before. Under our government, we have seen the creation of 1.2 million new jobs, the majority of which are full-time jobs, there are a record number of women in employment and we have seen the gender pay gap fall now to a record low, whereas under those opposite it went up to 17.2 per cent. Of course we know that we have to continue on with the hard work in our economic plan, and the Treasurer announced that last night. We've committed to a further 1.25 million new jobs over the next five years, adding to the more than 1.2 million jobs already created under our economic stewardship and, as announced in the budget last night, the coalition is committing $525 million to deliver a world-class vocational education and training system. This includes investment of more than $156 million to create up to 80,000 additional new apprentices, which will give priority to those in the skills shortage areas, through our new apprentice initiative, and more than $50 million to provide greater job opportunities for young people in the regions. The government is delivering the skills today for tomorrow, and we're doing that through our package. We're ensuring that all Australians have the right mix of skills to succeed now and into the future and that we are meeting employer needs. And we are doing this without delivering new taxes. Those opposite have a plan to deliver $200 billion of new or increased taxes—taxes on your retirement, on superannuation, on housing, on savings, and the list goes on. The only way that they can announce any initiatives is to reach deeper and deeper into your pocket. They reach deeper and deeper into your pocket because they don't believe in aspiration. We do, and we're lowering taxes. (Time expired)
I thank the member for Kennedy for his question. Respectfully, I would say the answer to his question is no. But I have to say, as this is my last week of question time, that there are many...
I thank the member for Kennedy for his question. Respectfully, I would say the answer to his question is no. But I have to say, as this is my last week of question time, that there are many things that I am going to miss about this place, and one of the things that I will miss is the questions from the member for Kennedy. He has a wonderful way of combining Aussie vernacular with haiku poetry. So I'm going to do my very best to address the theme of his question, which is the Australian economy and the coalition's plan for our economy. The coalition's economic plan for our economy is delivering lower taxes, a growing economy and, of course, a record number of jobs in this country. And I'm proud to report to the House that we have a record number of Australians in work now, more than at any other time in our history. We have, under our economic stewardship, seen more than 1.2 million jobs created in this country, and the majority of those jobs have in fact been full-time jobs. And I'm very proud to be able to report to the House that, over the past 12 months, we have seen around 300,000 jobs created and, of those jobs created, three-quarters of them have been full-time jobs. It is a great credit to the economic plan that we have put in place which has seen that happen. We have also seen unemployment drop now to a number that has a '4' in front of it: 4.9 per cent. Again, it is due to the hard work and effort of the coalition team on this side of the chamber—a team that, of course, has lowered taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can invest in their businesses and so that they can employ fellow Australians. In fact, 98 per cent of all businesses in this country are small and medium-sized enterprises, including farmers, and they employ around seven million Australians. Part of our economic plan has been to deliver free trade agreements that open up new export markets for those farmers, for those small and medium-sized enterprises. Free trade agreements with China, with South Korea, with Japan and with Hong Kong; closer economic relations, of course, with Singapore, with India and with Indonesia; and the Trans-Pacific Partnership are all delivering so that we can see new markets available to people who are working hard here in Australia. He asked about electricity prices. I'm sorry to say that we have seen in recent times that there is a plan for higher electricity prices, and it is those opposite who want to bring in a plan for a carbon tax 2.0. (Time expired)
Employment | Questions without Notice | House debates
which was Labor's record—17.2 per cent. I know they hate it. They find it really uncomfortable whenever I mention it because, of course, it is an achievement of our government to get it...
which was Labor's record—17.2 per cent. I know they hate it. They find it really uncomfortable whenever I mention it because, of course, it is an achievement of our government to get it down. What are the risks? Well, the risks are obvious. The risks of a Shorten Labor government are $200 billion worth of new or increased taxes—taxes on your retirement, taxes on your superannuation, taxes on your home, and, in particular, taxes on small businesses that are structured as trusts. Small business, of course, is one of the greatest engines for employment growth in this country, employing around seven million Australians. I don't know what they've got against small business, but I can tell you this: we are for small business, for job creation and for all Australians.
I thank the member for Robertson for her question. She knows that the coalition's economic plan is working and it is delivering for all Australians—delivering lower taxes, delivering a...
I thank the member for Robertson for her question. She knows that the coalition's economic plan is working and it is delivering for all Australians—delivering lower taxes, delivering a growing and strong economy, and, importantly, delivering more jobs. Of course, the proof of that was with the latest ABS labour force figures. There are more Australians in work now than ever before. In January we saw employment increase by 39,100. It means, of course, that we have seen an increase as well in full-time employment. We have seen the growth accounted for in full-time employment account for 87 per cent of the total increase in full-time jobs over the last 12 months. And it means that there are more Australians in full-time work than ever before, with both male and female full-time employment at record highs. Of course, there is a particular gold medal performer in this department, and that gold medal performer is Premier Gladys Berejiklian. The New South Wales unemployment figure has gone down to 3.9 per cent—the lowest on record since 1978. Of course, that was the year after I was born. Employment in New South Wales has reached record highs. Full-time employment has risen by more than 49,000 in January of this year. Of course, Gladys Berejiklian is not just a brilliant Premier, she is a brilliant woman. As Minister for Women, I can also deliver good news that the gender pay gap has also gone down. The gender pay gap is now at a record low—at 14.2 per cent. It has gone down from 17.2 per cent— Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—
Valedictory | Parliamentary Representation | House debates
on indulgence—I start today with the words that concluded my very first speech in this place: I will never forget that politics is about people and that people can make a difference. That...
on indulgence—I start today with the words that concluded my very first speech in this place: I will never forget that politics is about people and that people can make a difference. That is why I am here. I look forward to playing my part in building an even better Australia … Going on a decade as the federal member for Higgins, I believe that I have been able to do that. As anyone who has had the honour of serving in this place knows, you cannot make a contribution in this place without a lot of support. I want to start by thanking the people of Higgins for the privilege of representing them in this place and for entrusting me to represent their issues, both big and small. I especially want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to share in important moments in their lives and those of their families. I also want to thank the extraordinary members of the Liberal Party. I joined the Liberal Party as a 17-year-old because I believe that people should be free to choose their own paths in life—that they should be rewarded for their hard work and enterprise—and that everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves respect and the opportunity to live their best life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to prosecute those values in this place. I have been extremely fortunate to have such a strong electorate conference executive, led so brilliantly by my good friend Mark Stretton, who is here today with his beautiful family. I'm grateful to them, as well as every member of my hardworking committee. I feel the same debt of gratitude to the Chairman and patrons of the Higgins 200 Club and their families during my time here—Peter Bartels AO, the Hon. Peter Costello AC and current chairman, Richard Murray. Each has been a source of thoughtful advice and wonderful friendship. Peter Costello has also been a great mentor and a terrific example of integrity in political life. And while we haven't always agreed on everything, I am the better for our robust discussions. I look forward to many more in the years ahead. I want to place on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of volunteers, supporters and friends who have backed me with their time, money and expertise over four elections. In particular, I want to thank Andrea Coote, a Higgins Liberal powerhouse, who has helped direct each of my campaigns. The people, though, on the frontline each and every day are the people who work for you. And some, like the brilliant Sarah Nicholson and Tania Coltman, have been on the journey with me from the very beginning. Working in politics is more than just a job. It is a vocation. Like us, our staff want to serve their community and their nation and change lives for the better. The expectations and pace is unrelenting, and the sacrifices demanded of them and their families are very real. I have had the good fortune to work with the very best team in the country—people who are caring, bright, intellectually curious, loyal, hardworking and determined and who go above and beyond because they believe in our common Liberal cause. Amongst them are women and men who I hope will serve in this place or the other. I say to each of them and their families a heartfelt thankyou—you enrich the fabric of our nation, I cherish your friendship and I look forward to celebrating your many personal and professional achievements in the decades to come. Anyone who knows me knows that family means everything to me, and without them I wouldn't be here. I'm joined today by my loving parents, Karen and Dan, who instilled in me a strong moral compass that has always been my guide. My colleagues can blame them for my forthright manner, because they taught me from a young age that you have a responsibility to communicate your view clearly, no matter how difficult and no matter the cost, and that above all else you must be true to yourself. Two of my wonderful siblings are also here—my sister Kate and my brother, Tom, who together with my sister Nicki, who is overseas, are the very essence of tolerance, loyalty and love. I look forward to spending more time with them and their partners, along with my gorgeous and clever nieces, Lily, who is here today, Izzy, Lara and Charlie. I met my husband, Jon, 24 years ago at university, and I am so glad that we are on life's journey together. I have relied on his advice, his reservoir of love and understanding, his truth telling, his great intellect and his selfless devotion to our family. Jon works part time and is the primary caregiver in our family, ferrying children to child care, kinder and all manner of other things. He twice took extended paternity leave so that I could serve in cabinet and parliament and breastfeed our children. Whilst Jon trained as an engineer and a lawyer, I think he now sees his core competency as logistics. He is, quite simply, a great man, wonderful husband and brilliant father, and I just love him to bits. There is no doubt, though, that our greatest achievement in life is our two beautiful, happy, confident and loving children, Olivia and Edward. Livvy and Edward, you make my heart sing, and I love you more than words can express. There is nothing that gives me greater joy than being your mum. From the outside, politics can look like a brutal business—and it can be. There is a ferocity and urgency that is a permanent overlay to everything that is said and done here, because politics affects everyone, because the decisions made in this place affect the choices and opportunities of millions of Australians and the sort of Australia that we are and that we might become. In the battle of ideas, robust debate is critical and accountability for decision-making essential. Those who serve here have a responsibility to think deeply about the challenges that we face as a nation. Today I want to reflect on four themes that have dominated my thinking and my approach as a backbencher and minister. The first is the intergenerational bargain. I believe that each generation has an obligation to try to put the next generation in a stronger position than the one they inherited, or, at the very least, to make sure that they are no worse off. That is why I chaired an inquiry into foreign investment and residential real estate as a backbencher. It is why I have championed key infrastructure projects like the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and the congestion fund as a member of the Expenditure Review Committee. These are essential reforms aimed at increasing the supply of more affordable housing for all Australians. The intergenerational compact is why, as a member of the ERC, I am proud to have played my part in containing spending growth and returning the budget to surplus, in the face of an obstructionist Senate, so that we can get on with paying down Labor's debt legacy. Labor's budgets, and the trajectory they established for future years, were quite simply an enormous exercise in intergenerational wealth transfer from our children and our grandchildren to us. It is wrong to expect the next generation of Australians to fund a higher standard of living for us than they can ever reasonably be expected to achieve for themselves, yet this is a direct consequence of a spend-now pay-later philosophy. This is exacerbated further when you consider the ever-diminishing ratio of working-age Australians to fund the growing expenditure of an ageing population. Given all this, as Assistant Treasurer and later as Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, I realised it was important to make modest tax changes to broaden our overall income tax base and put superannuation on a sustainable footing. It wasn't popular amongst all of my constituents and divided opinion amongst sections of my party's membership, but it was the right thing to do, and I am grateful to the Liberal party room for unanimously endorsing our final package. After all, how could it be right that a young person on average earnings, with a substantial HECS debt, faced a higher tax bill on the interest earned on their home deposit savings than a person who owned their own house, had a free university education and was paying no tax on the income earned from millions saved in superannuation? We must never forget that in this place we have a dual responsibility, both to the voters of today and to those that economic historian Niall Ferguson so eloquently describes as 'as yet too young to vote or as yet unborn'. The intergenerational compact demands that we be fair to both. That leads me to the second theme I want to touch on: fairness. Fairness is more than a one-word slogan hijacked to denote the redistribution of income. It has many dimensions. We must always ask the questions: fair to who and fairer on what measure? Those who choose to work harder and longer deserve to be rewarded. Those who put their capital on the line to invest in new enterprises that create jobs should have the opportunity to see the fruits of their efforts. Government tax policy that smothers initiative and enterprise and deters risk-taking and hard work is inherently unfair. This is why, together with the Prime Minister, I am proud to have contributed to legislated tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses and tax cuts for individuals that will see the 37 per cent tax rate eliminated altogether. Our upper personal income tax rates are still too high, though, and our top marginal tax rate kicks in at too low a level. As our budgetary position improves over time, I hope that both of these issues are addressed. Equally, it is absolutely not fair for some to treat their tax obligations as optional. If profit is earned in Australia, it must be taxed in Australia. Failing to close loopholes and enforce the law can cheat Australians of vital services and infrastructure and can mean higher taxes for those who do the right thing. I am proud to have closed loopholes that allowed multinationals to try to avoid their tax obligations, doubled penalties on large companies ripping off the taxpayer, strengthened the Australian Taxation Office and established the Tax Avoidance Taskforce. As a result, around $7 billion has been collected from large corporations, multinationals, private groups and wealthy Australians. In response to the MAAL, around $7 billion in sales income is being returned to Australians each year, plus hundreds of millions of dollars in GST revenue. Just this week, my whistleblower protections for those who expose corporate and tax misconduct were finally legislated. I'm also proud to have commissioned the first comprehensive review of the black economy, which is estimated to cost our economy up to $50 billion a year. Tackling the black economy will reduce the tax burden on everyone. Budget announcements last year have demonstrated our progress, but it is clear that there is more to do. The third issue I want to touch on is the role of women in our society and economy, and the perennial work-life struggle. We sell ourselves short as a nation if we don't maximise the talents and expertise of both halves of our population. There should be no limit on what girls and women can aspire to and no limit on what they can achieve. As a feminist, I have always believed that girls and women deserve an equal stake in our society and our economy. We want women to make choices that are right for them and right for their families. Choice is a good thing. But we must also be mindful that a choice today can have long-term consequences. So that means that we need to have better pathways back into work after having children, more flexible work arrangements to accommodate family responsibilities and more affordable childcare arrangements. In essence, it means helping women to build their financial security. It also means giving men more flexibility in work to take on caring responsibilities. Men love their children and want to be part of their lives, and children love their fathers. Yet the number of men who work part-time remains well below that of women, and I call this the flexibility gap. We need to normalise flexibility for men and ask, 'What are the barriers? Should we have a target?' We began work on this area during my time as Minister for Women, and I encourage my successor to continue it. I'm proud to have delivered the inaugural Women's Economic Security Statement, with over $100 million dedicated to help build women's financial security through practical actions that boost their skills and employability, smooth their return to work, help them to establish their own businesses, and improve their economic recovery following critical life events such as family separation or domestic violence. I hope future governments commit to this important annual statement to keep a strong focus on gender equality. I was pleased to announce funding for the first ever national inquiry into sexual harassment in the workplace and introduce legislation to enshrine minimum standards in the workplace for family and domestic violence leave. I'm glad this passed with the support of the whole parliament. In my party, I'm proud to have instigated the Enid Lyons Fighting Fund to give extra financial assistance to women fighting elections. We need more of them to succeed. I hope the example of female trailblazers in this place since Federation, as well as my own lived experience, demonstrate to women contemplating public service that you can have a family, serve at the highest levels and make a serious and lasting contribution to your country. My decision not to recontest is a very personal one, and simply reflects, after four elections, a shift in my priorities. The intergenerational bargain, fairness and women's issues all animated me before I came into this place. I never imagined that I would see them intersect in what many consider to be one of the driest policy areas—superannuation. I said in my first speech: We face big challenges, and I will not duck the task of tackling those challenges. Reforming the superannuation industry has been one such challenge. Workers are mandated by government to defer 9.5 per cent of their wages today to save for their retirement. The system has seen our national savings pool grow to $2.8 trillion, which is a great achievement. We want to encourage people to be self-reliant in retirement—that is a good thing—yet, when I came to the portfolio, some Australians were unable to take full advantage of concessional contributions because of their work arrangements. We fixed it through reforms to deductible personal contributions so that everyone benefits. I was also particularly concerned to ensure women and men with career interruptions weren't denied access to the benefit of tax concessions for their years out of the workforce. We enacted catch-up contributions to address this. We also acted to ensure low-income Australians were not paying more tax on their mandated superannuation contributions than on their take-home pay. Our measure now benefits more than three million Australians, including around 1.9 million low-income women, to the tune of around half a billion dollars each year. These reforms all improve the system. But there remains a deeper problem. Millions of Australians have been cheated of billions of dollars in their retirement savings. Young people have seen their accounts drained to zero through multiple accounts, multiple sets of fees and multiple insurance premiums. People have been forced into poor-performing funds through backroom deals and enterprise agreements that take away their choice. For too long, the industry has been putting their interests ahead of those of their members. They have forgotten that the money they hold on trust is not the banks' money, the unions' money or the funds' money. It is the members' money. It is their wages, so the system must work for them. I'm proud of the action that I took to pursue a series of member-first superannuation reforms to end the rorts and rip-offs in the sector and to better protect Australians' retirement savings. Many of these reforms were endorsed by the landmark Productivity Commission report on the superannuation system and the financial services royal commission. Thankfully, many have now been legislated, despite lobby groups using members' money to try to block them. They include boosting the retirement savings of around three million Australians by about $6 billion, thanks to automatically reuniting lost and inactive low-balance accounts; capping fees on low-balance accounts and banning exit fees on all accounts, which will save members over half a billion dollars in 2019-20 alone; providing APRA with greater powers to crack down on dodgy funds; and introducing tougher penalties on fund trustees, including, for the first time, up to five years in jail. I'm also pleased that, today, we reintroduced legislation to implement my proposed reforms to improve default insurance arrangements, by making insurance cover opt-in rather than opt-out for new members under 25 years of age and for those with low-balance accounts. It is a scandal that people are defaulted into insurance that they don't know about, don't want, don't need and, in some cases, can't even claim on. If those opposite finally see sense and support our bill without amendment, it will mean up to $3 billion each year in retirement savings for millions of affected members. I also look forward to legislation being introduced which will give victims of crime, including victims of child sex abuse offences, access to the superannuation of their perpetrators as compensation. There remain other areas to progress. Funds should have a greater focus on retirement incomes. The retirement income covenant is an important start, but more must be done in this area. I remain hopeful that parliament will extend choice of fund to the around one million Australians who are currently restrict from doing so. I also remain hopeful that parliament has the strength to tackle the long-vexed issue of default funds, where people make no active choice about their fund or how their money should be invested. In my view, given that the government compels Australians to put an ever-increasing percentage of their wages into superannuation, it's only right that the government should offer up a solution to look after those foregone wages. It is my strong view that a conflict-free, low-fee government default fund could benefit millions of Australians by utilising the investment management expertise of the Future Fund. It would boost retirement incomes by taking advantage of economies of scale and would stop Australians from being defaulted into underperforming funds. Fixing the superannuation system can be best summarised as getting a better deal for consumers. This has been a constant thread through the fabric of my ministerial and constituent work. I'm glad that we called the royal commission into the banking and financial services sector. It was the right thing to do. We were so keen to address the issues we had already identified that we underestimated just how strong a disinfectant the sunlight from a royal commission would be. I'm pleased that the royal commissioner's report endorsed many of the reforms that we progressed in the interim. I'm particularly proud of establishing the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, a one-stop shop to enable consumers and small businesses access to fast and free dispute resolution for banking, insurance, superannuation and financial advice. The government will extend its remit to look back 10 years. The royal commission also endorsed the work we had done to design a compensation scheme of last resort for financial misconduct. I'm pleased the government has agreed to establish such a scheme. Time will tell, but I expect that our strengthening of ASIC, including the overhaul of its leadership and the introduction of an enforcement-focused deputy commissioner, will also have a big impact. A strong financial services system is essential to job creation. On that theme, I'm particularly proud of reforms to overhaul our insolvency laws and facilitate crowdsourced equity funding, which will support entrepreneurship and innovation. At a local level, I have enjoyed resolving many diverse issues, but none has been more satisfying than securing a permanent home for the very first children's hospice in Australia. Very Special Kids does the work of angels, helping families with the care of profoundly ill children and supporting families dealing with unimaginable grief when a child dies. I am exceptionally grateful for their work and will continue to champion them so that they get the world-class facilities that they need. An issue that resonated strongly with me and my electorate was same-sex marriage. One of the most nerve-racking days that I had as a new MP was the day that I walked into the Federation Chamber to announce my support for same-sex marriage. Many warned me it was a career-limiting move, and maybe it was at the time, but I believe it was the right thing to do. I am proud that it will be the legacy of a Liberal government to have legislated same-sex marriage. This brings me to the fourth and final issue, the quality of our democracy itself. My time in this place has coincided with a deterioration of trust in both this institution and, indeed, the very concept of democracy. Social media and a proliferation of tribal echo chambers have led to warped perceptions of Australians' views, a failure to listen to alternative ideas and a decline in genuine policy debate and civil discourse. Time spent in the community is the best antidote. However, technology has accelerated our lives and our expectations. Complex policy issues in an increasingly complex world don't usually have an easy answer. The default response here should not be to immediately outsource decision-making to unelected people. Sometimes parliamentarians need to prosecute the case for patience and a deeper conversation with their electorates. Equally concerning is the transformation of the Senate. It is now neither a house of review nor a house to protect the state's interests. Rather, it has become a forum to frustrate the government's agenda and the will of the people. This has contributed to undermining faith in our democracy and its institutions, and long-term policy outcomes for our country. As my final observation in this place, I think that elected governments should be able to implement their mandates. I support the proposition endorsed by the Senate President for major parties to consider implementing an Australian version of the Salisbury convention. This would mean parties agreeing to abide by the convention that the Senate won't obstruct the passage of legislation to effect government policy which has been fully and fairly disclosed to the Australian people well before voting commences in an election. In conclusion, I would like to thank my colleagues, including a number that I have worked with across the aisle, and, in particular, Julie Bishop for her friendship and guidance. I am lucky that before I came into this place I had two lifelong friends who were already here: the Speaker of the House, Tony Smith; and the President of the Senate, Scott Ryan, who are both like big brothers to me—and, like big brothers, can both delight and infuriate me! I want to place on record my thanks to Malcolm Turnbull for his friendship and also his great support of me when I gave birth—the first serving cabinet minister to do so. He also made me the youngest female cabinet minister, and, together with Scott Morrison, gave me portfolios with complex policy issues to work through. I have loved the intellectual stimulation and technical detail that has come with the second-largest legislative workload in this place. I would like to place on record my gratitude to the many hardworking public servants in my various portfolios, and the teams of people who enable our parliament to function. To the Prime Minister: thank you for your friendship, your determination, your courage and your leadership. It has never been more needed than now. I know that, with you, our country is in good hands. I thank the House for its indulgence.
Building and Construction Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member for Fairfax for his question. Like every member on this side of the chamber, he is passionate about small and medium-sized family businesses because he understands the...
I thank the member for Fairfax for his question. Like every member on this side of the chamber, he is passionate about small and medium-sized family businesses because he understands the significance and importance to our economy of small and family-sized businesses. Now, of course, this is especially true in the construction and building industry. Close to one in 10 workers in this country rely on the building and construction industry for their jobs and for their income, and around 98 per cent of all of those businesses who are in the construction and building industry are, in fact, small and family businesses. It is absolutely imperative that those businesses are able to go about their work safe in the knowledge that they will be free from thuggery, from intimidation and from lawlessness. That is precisely why the government has introduced the strong building code. That is precisely why we have re-established the Australian and Building Construction Commission. But, sadly, there are some who believes that the rules do not apply to them—that they are, in fact, above the rules. This, of course, includes the CFMMEU. The CFMMEU has been fined more than $16 million. They have been described by a Federal Court judge as one of the most recidivist organisations in Australian history, and they have currently around 77 officials currently before the courts for more than 850 suspected contraventions of the law. Now, of course, the best friend of the CFMMEU is the Leader of the Opposition, and the member for Fairfax probably well knows that the CFMMEU and their militancy, particularly in Queensland, has got to the most egregious point. We have learned that Queensland health and safety officials now refuse to attend 17 sites controlled by the CFMMEU, because they are concerned about their safety because of organisational violence. These are the safety inspectors there, looking after the safety of small businesses and the people that work for them, who do not feel safe going onto work sites in Queensland. If the safety inspectors do not feel safe, what hope is there for those small businesses and for the people that work for them? The awful record of lawlessness and lawbreaking would be writ large if the Leader of the Opposition got his way and he abolished the Australian Building and Construction Commission. We would see this writ large nationally, and we on this side would not make lawbreakers lawmakers.
Domestic and Family Violence | Questions without Notice | House debates
I thank the member for Ryan for her question and for her strong interest in this very important matter. As the Prime Minister has said, it is our duty as a government to keep Australians safe. We...
I thank the member for Ryan for her question and for her strong interest in this very important matter. As the Prime Minister has said, it is our duty as a government to keep Australians safe. We take that duty incredibly seriously. Since 2015, the government has invested more than $420 million in initiatives to help keep women and children safe, including initiatives announced only this week that will help women with emergency accommodation when they are fleeing domestic and family violence and also help to keep those women who want to remain in their homes safe in their homes. The government, of course, takes the financial security of women very seriously as well, helping women to build their financial security through the Women's Economic Security Statement. Over $100 million of initiatives were announced last year, for the first time ever, to help build women's financial resilience, capability and security. It's very timely that the member for Ryan asks about humanitarian programs, as only this morning I had the great privilege, along with the Prime Minister, of attending the UN Women's International Women's Day Breakfast. We can be very proud, as a country, of the fact that we are one of very few countries in the world that specifically support the resettlement of women at risk of victimisation, harassment or serious abuse because of their gender through our Women at Risk program. But we can only do that if we control our borders. Controlling our borders means that we can offer security and safety to women, like the 23-year-old Afghan woman who was sold by her father at the age of six years to a member of the Taliban. She was raped each and every day for a number of years. She bore four children. She was finally able to escape her circumstances in Pakistan and resettle here in Australia, thanks to our Women at Risk program. Sadly, her story is not unusual, but the government is helping women just like her. In fact, since 2013, more than 7,000 women and children have found safe refuge in our country because of our Women at Risk program. In the last financial year alone, 2,100 women and children have been able to find safe refuge here, which is more than at any other time in our history. Those opposite talk a lot about compassion, and they're very conspicuous in their talk about compassion, but real compassion is delivering safety and security, which is what we are doing, and those opposite risk it.
I thank the member for Gilmore for her question and also for her very strong advocacy and support on behalf of the Shoalhaven Women's Health Centre, which is a very important centre in her...
I thank the member for Gilmore for her question and also for her very strong advocacy and support on behalf of the Shoalhaven Women's Health Centre, which is a very important centre in her constituency that helps women and children affected by domestic violence. Every woman in this country has the right to be safe in their community, online, at their workplace and in their home. We all know the terrible statistics around domestic violence in this country, and we must never forget that every single one of those statistics is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, a work colleague. We must agree as a parliament that it is not right for women not to be protected and safe. The government has, in fact, got a strong plan to keep women and children safe, to protect them from the scourge of domestic violence. We have committed well in excess of $350 million in safety initiatives since 2015, including additional funding for 1800RESPECT, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling line. It will deal in this financial year with around 160,000 contacts and is a vital resource for those people who are experiencing traumatic events. As part of the Women's Economic Security Statement, the very first time that we as a parliament have delivered such a statement, we provided $14.9 million to Good Shepherd Microfinance for no-interest loans, to help women to be able to rebuild their financial security in a safe environment. The government has extended funding of more than $42 million for specialist domestic violence units and health justice partnerships, which will help women and children with legal advice and health services when they have experienced family and domestic violence. And, for the first time, we have enshrined five days of leave for domestic and family violence as a minimum workplace right in the National Employment Standards. But, of course, we're doing more and must do more. Only this week the government announced $60 million of additional investment in emergency accommodation—something that I know is a particular passion project for the Minister for Families and Social Services—as well as $18 million of continued support to help keep women and children safe in their own homes. As the Prime Minister has said, domestic violence is a national security issue, and it is a commitment for every single one of us in this place and at all levels of government. I hope it continues to receive bipartisan support.
Fair Work Amendment (Right to Request Casual Conversion) Bill 2019; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Fair Work Amendment (Right to Casual Conversion) Bill 2019 amends the Fair Work Act 2009to insert into the National Employment Standards a...
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Fair Work Amendment (Right to Casual Conversion) Bill 2019 amends the Fair Work Act 2009to insert into the National Employment Standards a new right for eligible employees to request to convert to full-time or part-time employment. This means that, if they want to, all eligible employees will be able to ask their employer to move from casual employment to full-time or part-time employment. This is necessary because there are currently a significant number of employees in the national system who do not have such a right. This bill will fill that gap. It is only fair that a right to request casual conversion is extended to all eligible employees. The new right in the bill is in line with a model casual conversion clause that was developed by the Fair Work Commission. On 5 July 2017, the Fair Work Commission determined that a model casual conversion clause should be inserted into 85 modern awards that did not contain such a right. This took effect in 85 awards on 1 October last year. The Fair Work Commission made this decision after considering the evidence provided by employee and employer representatives in extensive proceedings over a period of four years. However, the Fair Work Commission's decision only affects employees whose terms and conditions of employment are set by one of those 85 awards. Another 27 modern awards already contain casual conversion clauses, specifically tailored by the commission to respond to the needs of each of those particular industries. For example, in the manufacturing and construction industries, the right to request casual conversion in the relevant modern awards has been a longstanding feature in those industries. The government, with this bill, does not seek to disturb these arrangements. However, it currently remains the case that a significant number of employees in the national system do not have access to a protected right to request to convert to full-time or part-time employment. The government's bill will fill this gap and ensure that a right to request conversion will be available to: In this way, the bill will ensure that all employees in the Fair Work system will have access to a protected right to request casual conversion, irrespective of whether their terms and conditions are set by a modern award, an enterprise agreement or any other arrangement. No-one falls through the cracks. The bill will also have the effect of ensuring that employees to whom an enterprise agreement applies and who are covered by a modern award that contains a casual conversion clause will get the benefit of that award clause. Enterprise agreements will not be able to trade away these casual conversion terms, which must be derived from an underlying modern award with such a term for that particular industry, or in other cases, where there is no underlying award with such a term, the new right in the National Employment Standards. Importantly, this bill will not mandate that any particular employee will have to convert to full-time or part-time employment. We know that casual employment is a genuine and fulfilling choice for many people. Working as a casual enables people to balance work with other priorities. This includes allowing flexibility for those with caring responsibilities for children, parents or those with disabilities, helping mature-age people to stay in work while transitioning to retirement, and enabling students to have a job while studying. In this country, casual employees are entitled to a higher hourly pay rate than equivalent full-time or part-time employees in place of annual leave and other entitlements. They usually get a 25 per cent loading. Casual employment is also important for employers, particularly small business. They need flexibility to manage their workforce to better compete in the market and manage peaks, troughs, and seasonality in their business. For example, they may need flexibility to put on extra staff during busy times, such as holiday periods or at harvest time. Casual work is often temporary and can be a stepping stone to other jobs. Almost three-quarters of workers who enter casual work leave within two years. And over half move to full- or part-time jobs. As noted in the Fair Work Commission's decision, the needs of employers and employees can change over time. It is necessary for casual employees who have worked regular hours over extended periods to have a pathway to convert to full-time or part-time employment. The bill is in line with the Fair Work Commission's model casual conversion clause to the greatest extent possible. The bill will provide eligible employees who have worked a regular pattern of hours for the previous 12 months with the right to request that their employment be converted to full-time or part-time employment, under certain circumstances. Employers will only be able to refuse a request from an eligible employee on known or foreseeable reasonable grounds. This bill provides all employees in the national system with access to a dispute resolution mechanism to resolve any disputes that may arise between the employee and their employer about the operation of the new National Employment Standards right. The bill does not intend to disturb existing dispute resolution procedures in industrial instruments, employment contracts or other agreements. As already stated, the bill will not disturb existing industry-specific standards in modern awards from operating as a minimum safety net. Where awards that contain a casual conversion clause apply to employers and employees, there will be no change for them. Where enterprise agreements are in place, those agreements must provide a right to request casual conversion that is the same as or better than any casual conversion clause in the relevant modern awards. This government is committed to fairness and balance in Australia's industrial relations system, where people find reward and value in their work, and business can thrive and create jobs. The government is fulfilling its responsibility to ensure that all employees have access to a minimum entitlement of a right to request casual conversion, and all businesses, big and small, have clarity on their obligations in making workforce planning decisions. Importantly, for small businesses, the majority of which employ their staff under a modern award, this bill will not create significant new obligations. Including casual conversion in the National Employment Standards will also increase awareness of this entitlement. Employers are required to give all new employees a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement. Under the bill, all current potentially eligible casual employees will also be informed by their employer of this new entitlement. This bill is the right result for Australian workers, Australian business and the Australian economy. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned.
I thank the member for Forrest for her question. She must be one of the hardest working members in this place, and I congratulate her on being the very first female Chief Government Whip in this...
I thank the member for Forrest for her question. She must be one of the hardest working members in this place, and I congratulate her on being the very first female Chief Government Whip in this place—and what a fantastic job she does! Like the rest of this side of the chamber, she knows how important it is to give all Australians the opportunity to be able to get a job, to enter the workforce and to be able to secure their financial future, because she understands that a job does just that: it helps to build financial security for yourself and for your family, and it gives people and families more choices about their lives. We are delivering as a government, through our economic plan, the ability to create those jobs through lower taxes and more investment. We have in fact delivered, under our economic stewardship, more than 1.2 million new jobs in this country, which means that we have more Australians in work than ever before. This is a record. As Minister for Women, I'm particularly pleased that the majority of those 1.2 million new jobs are in fact held by women. In fact, we are at an all-time high when you consider the number of women who are in work now: almost six million women in work right now, which is a record. They are enjoying the financial benefits of being able to get and keep a job. In fact, when you compare us to those opposite, there are 700,000 more women in the workforce compared to when Labor left office, and there are more women in full-time work, which is now standing at a record high, with around 400,000 more women in full-time jobs compared to when Labor left office. So the contrast couldn't be clearer. Under our government, there are more people in work than ever before and more women in work than ever before. Under those opposite, there will be fewer people employed. We can't help but also point out the fact that, when people earn a wage, 9.5 per cent of that wage goes to their retirement savings, and we as a government have been delivering. We've been delivering for all Australians but particularly for women. We're the ones who deliver the low-income superannuation tax offset, which helps women, particularly low-income women, benefiting around 1.9 million Australian women to the tune of half a billion dollars each and every year. We're giving flexibility measures, catch-up contributions and concessional contributions, levelling the playing field. These are things that the Leader of the Opposition would scrap if he were given the opportunity to govern, and he would also impose a mega retiree tax that would hurt Australian women.
Higgins Electorate: Christmas Card Competition | Constituency Statements | House debates
Christmas is fast approaching. Decorations are lining our local shopping strips and front yards as Australians prepare for the festive season. I was very pleased to host again my annual Higgins...
Christmas is fast approaching. Decorations are lining our local shopping strips and front yards as Australians prepare for the festive season. I was very pleased to host again my annual Higgins Christmas card competition at the Metro Gallery in Armadale last week. We received over 600 entries from primary schools right across Higgins. I invited students to draw or paint their Christmas wish. The overwhelming theme of their entries was the importance of family and giving to those who are less fortunate, as well as requests, of course, for a puppy and the latest LEGO set. The fantastic drawings and paintings were brightly coloured and filled with Christmas cheer. Many of them are now brightening up the windows of my corner office in Malvern. Local award-winning artist, Vicky Watts, and editor of Domain magazine, Emily Power, joined me on the judging panel, and what a tough task that was with so many brilliant entries! I congratulate the recipients of the 12 Days of Christmas Award. They are: Max Dorey, De La Salle College; Starla Tong, Korowa Anglican Girls' School; Honey Dee Lawson, Loreto Mandeville Hall; Oliver Milus, Murrumbeena Primary School; Aayush Saini, Oakleigh Grammar; Aimee Herington, Sacre Coeur; Sophie Bailey, Sacre Coeur; Jemma Greich, Solway Primary School; Milla Cohen, St Catherine's School; Tilly Marshall, St Cecilia's Primary School; Alexandra Foundas, St Roch's Primary School; and Elinor King, Windsor Primary School. And, of course, I'd like to congratulate the winner of this year's competition, Isabella Benvenuto from Sacre Coeur. Isabella's painting had an Australian theme and a tribute to our coat of arms, with a kangaroo and an emu overlooking a beautiful Christmas tree. I'm delighted to feature Isabella's work on the front of my official 2018 Christmas card. Christmas is, of course, a time to think of others, especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves. For many families, this time of year can be especially difficult. That's why I'm pleased to again partner with St Joseph's Outreach Service and local bookseller Jeffreys Books to help local families in need through our Higgins Christmas Appeal. Books will be donated again to the Smith Family. Over the past two years, more than $7,000 worth of books—hundreds and hundreds of books—have been donated. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this year's appeal and those who have contributed to past years appeals as well. It is truly amazing to be part of such a generous and thoughtful community. For those who are thinking about it, if you go to my website, you can, in fact, donate. I want to wish everyone a very happy, a very merry and a very safe Christmas. I want those who face challenging times at Christmas to know that we're thinking of you and that we will be there to support you as well. Thank you.
Mabo, Dr Bonita, AO | Condolences | House debates
In decades past, Australia has been lifted by many great Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and I feel very privileged to be following on from the member for Barton, who, of course, is...
In decades past, Australia has been lifted by many great Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and I feel very privileged to be following on from the member for Barton, who, of course, is the first Aboriginal woman who has been elected to the House of Representatives and certainly fits in that pantheon. Pearl Gibbs, Dr Evelyn Scott and Mum Shirl are just some of the names of women who fought courageously for their people and against prejudice and the injustices of their times; women who made Australia a better country. Last week another incredible woman passed—Bonita Mabo. Dr Mabo campaigned alongside her late husband, Eddie Mabo, in pursuit of land rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In the famous Mabo v Queensland court case, Eddie Mabo successfully challenged the notion of terra nullius—that Australia was a 'land belonging to no-one'—in the High Court of Australia. Their fight lasted more than a decade. Sadly, Eddie Mabo did not live to see that landmark decision which paved the way for the Native Title Act 1993. In 2017, Bonita recalled the moment she heard about the High Court decision. We were just outside of Sydney and we stopped and pulled up on the side of the road and Malita rang us and said 'dad won the decision, won the case', she said. And we just jumped out and we just hugged each other. And we were as proud as punch. Following her husband's death in 1992, Dr Mabo continued her activism for a new cause—the rights of Australian South Sea Islander people. During an award ceremony for an honorary doctorate from James Cook University just a week before she died, her 45 years of campaigning for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and Australian South Sea Islanders was recognised. She has been described by her people as 'one of the greatest matriarchs of all time'. Bonita was born in Ingham, Queensland, one of 10 children. Eddie and Bonita also had 10 children. She was an Australian South Sea Islander of Ni-Vanuatu descent whose ancestors were indentured and sent to Australia to work in the sugarcane industry in the 19th century—known as blackbirding. In 1973 Eddie and Bonita established the Black Community School in Townsville, where children could learn about their own culture. In later years she fought for South Sea Islanders to be recognised in Australia as their own distinct ethnic group. She was recognised in the Order of Australia in 2013 for 'distinguished service to the Indigenous community and to human rights'. Tomorrow we say our final farewell to Dr Mabo AO. We think of her family, we think of her friends and we think of all of the lives that she has touched. I would like to thank her for her tireless work to make Australia a better country. On behalf of our nation, we are very grateful.
Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Bill 2017; Consideration of Senate Message | Bills | House debates
I present the reasons for the House of Representatives disagreeing to the amendments of the Senate, and I move: That the reasons be adopted. Question agreed to.
I move: That the amendments be disagreed to. These amendments are not in line with the objective of the Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Bill 2017. Accordingly,...
I move: That the amendments be disagreed to. These amendments are not in line with the objective of the Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Bill 2017. Accordingly, the House of Representatives does not accept these amendments.
Rearrangement | Business | House debates
I move: That business intervening before order of the day No. 45, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to.
I thank the member for Robertson for her question, and she, like every member on this side of the chamber, understands how vital it is that we support small and family-sized businesses, because...
I thank the member for Robertson for her question, and she, like every member on this side of the chamber, understands how vital it is that we support small and family-sized businesses, because they employ more than seven million Australians. She understands that a third of all small business operators are, in fact, women. We want to see even more women get into small and family-sized businesses, so we are supporting them to be able to do just that. We know that when women do well their families do well and our economy and our nation prosper. That is why we delivered the Women's Economic Security Statement. It is the very first time that any government has delivered an economic security statement helping women to be able to build their financial security. It is exactly why we are helping women who are running small and family-sized businesses with changes to our parental leave payment. We are changing it so that it is a lot more flexible, because we know that the current system is far too rigid. We know that there are many small and family-sized business operators that simply cannot spend 18 weeks away from their business, so we've done something about it. We've heard from people like Tess McCabe, a small business owner, who spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald. She said that she was so pleased when she heard the news about the government's announcement that she cried. She said: It was exactly what self employed people want, the choice to take those blocks of paid parental leave … in a way that suits them. That is what we are about. We are about giving people flexibility and choice. We are not about raising their taxes, which is exactly what those opposite would do. For somebody like Tess McCabe, who has a small or family business, we're doing the opposite. We're cutting her taxes, because anybody who has a business with a turnover of less than $50 million, under our government, has seen the company tax rate go down from 30c in the dollar to 25c in the dollar with our legislated plan—because, unlike those opposite, we know how to manage a budget. We know it is important that you don't raise taxes on people's businesses, on their investments, on their retirement savings, on their homes and on their superannuation. That doesn't help small and family-sized businesses. It certainly doesn't help them when you've got retirees being slugged with a mega retiree tax. We know that the $200 billion worth of new or increased taxes that those opposite would impose would hurt small and family-sized businesses. We want to help them, not hurt them, which is why we say: don't vote Labor.
Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018; Third Reading | Bills | House debates
by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates