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

Look at the comparison between AWAs and awards. On average, people on AWAs receive 100 per cent more than those on the relevant award. That is what the data shows in relation to AWAs. We have something like 700,000 people in Australia who are currently on AWAs and more than one million AWAs have been entered into since they came into operation. The reality is that this provides flexibility and incentives for many workers and their families. A person working on an AWA is much more likely to be rewarded for extra performance than somebody on a collective agreement, let alone somebody on an award. That is the reality of the workplace in Australia today. As I said to the member for Perth, we will have a look at this AWA, but I do not take on the say-so of the member for Perth what is in any particular document, because he has been shown to be wrong on so many occasions.

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