Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Lyons asks me to prove it. A recent survey showed that the average cost to a small or medium business in Australia of an unfair dismissal claim was some $15,000. So what we have had in the past is employers facing up to $15,000, on average, to pay ‘go-away money’ to get rid of a problem, which is simply bad policy. I note in this context that just recently the Leader of the Opposition said in a joint media release with his shadow spokesman the member for Perth:

We recognise this is not a debate about whether employers are good or bad. Most Australians act in good faith, whether they’re employers or employees.

But there are some rogue employers, just as there are rogue employees.

What the Leader of the Opposition wants is to reimpose the draconian system of unfair dismissals on small and medium businesses in Australia, and not only to retain one tribunal in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission but to add more red tape and bureaucracy for small and medium businesses in Australia by imposing yet another tribunal on small and medium businesses in Australia. We do not need another bureaucracy. We do not need more imposition of red tape on small and medium businesses. We want a change in the laws, which will come into effect today, which will give small and medium businesses in Australia the opportunity to employ more of our fellow Australians.

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