House debates

Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Questions without Notice

Workplace Relations

2:00 pm

Photo of Malcolm TurnbullMalcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Clean Event entered into an enterprise bargaining agreement in 2006 with the AWU. I have the agreement here. It was signed by the Leader of the Opposition's delegate. He has turned away. He always does that. He cannot take it. He cannot tell the truth. He cannot be consistent. He flip-flops and backs away. He is in favour of the independent umpire one day, proclaiming the importance of respect for the Fair Work Commission, and then he runs away from it.

What about the workers? What about the casual cleaning workers at Clean Event, who were paid, thanks to the Leader of the Opposition, $18.14 an hour when they were entitled to $50.17 under the award? That is what he did.

Honourable members interjecting

And where did the money go? Was there a payment to the AWU? Were membership lists provided to the AWU. Follow the money; follow the politics. I see his members are all looking down. They cannot stand it either. They know that they are led by the world champion in cutting penalty rates. As the royal commission was told, the benefits to Clean Event and the Australian Workers Union were obvious. The persons who missed out were the workers. And that was just one case. We heard yesterday about Cirque du Soleil—another great triumph by Bill Shorten, in his capacity as a union leader.

Comments

No comments