Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

We know that the majority of workers will not be affected, even if the bill passes, because their penalty rates have already been stolen by the Labor Party in return for secret commissions from big business. One Nation is committed both to supporting Aussie workers and to helping small businesses compete. To this end, I foreshadow that we will be moving an amendment to Labor's bill, to extend the protection against the loss of penalty rates to existing EBAs. Under One Nation's amendment, 250,000 low-paid workers will immediately obtain a pay increase of up to 30 per cent for weekend and public holiday work, and small business will immediately get a level playing field on which to compete with giant foreign-owned multinationals.

What is it going to be, Senators Wong and Cameron? How will you and your fellow Labor senators vote on that one? Are you finally going to do the right thing for all those unionised workers on your rip-off EBAs that give them the same pay as they would get from small businesses, or are you going to show yourselves to be the world-class contradictors that you appear to be and actually vote against giving low-paid workers the pay rise they deserve? I will be moving that amendment at the appropriate stage. Finally, after all the deception, the ducking and weaving and the contradictory cant, Labor is cornered and has to make a choice. We are looking forward to seeing which way Labor jumps.