Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017. I was stunned last night. The Treasurer got up and we were all waiting to hear what he was going to say. I thought I had seen it all since I have been in this House—it is coming up to 10 years; Mr Deputy Speaker Vasta, I think you have been here a bit longer than me—but I have never seen a government that has had such a level of incoherence in its internal thinking. They have spent four years now just hammering into workers conditions through the ABCC, through the registered organisations bill and through the latest round of penalty rate cuts. The member for Newcastle was talking before about that in relation to the last election. This harks back to the history of the Liberal Party, which has always been about—except for the occasional ceasefire—hacking into working Australians and benefiting the top end of town. I do not mind if that is the philosophy, but what we had last night from the Treasurer was a speech of cant and incoherent babble, really. What really stuck in my craw was this bit—and I will quote him here:

And it’s been a fair while since most hardworking Australians have had a decent pay rise.

He says this to the House in the budget speech on the one night of the year when people are really paying attention to what goes on in this House. I do not think most Australians are tuned in at the moment.

Mr Tudge interjecting—

My colleague opposite is being unkind about my speaking skills. Here is the point: the people of Australia actually pay attention to see what happens on budget night. It is not just an economic document. It is a symbol of the values and political priorities of the government. We had this sort of cant about: 'Oh, geez, it's a pity hardworking Australians haven't had a pay rise. Gosh, who could possibly be responsible for that?' Well, I don't know. Maybe it is a government that sits on its hands when report after report comes down about the exploitation of workers. Maybe it is a government that cheers on cuts to penalty rates. It does not put a submission into the Fair Work Commission to say, 'A cut to penalty rates would be a bad thing for workers and it would be a bad thing for the economy, particularly when we have very little wage growth in the economy.' Does the government do that? No, the government does not. Why? Because government members are so obsessed with their own jobs. We have had two prime ministers and, I think, three or four defence ministers. There is a revolving door of ministerial appointments. Sadly, the deputy speaker did not get a geurnsey. The bar has been set so low that even my friend opposite can get a geurnsey these days. He is going right to the top; he will be in cabinet next. Maybe with the next leadership change you can get a geurnsey for cabinet. You are not in cabinet already, are you?

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