Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017. I commend the contribution made by my bench companion on this piece of legislation. Labor supports this bill; I say that up-front. It is past time that the Abbott-Turnbull government acted to protect vulnerable workers. This piece of legislation is not the panacea for protecting vulnerable workers but it is something—slightly more than nothing—I guess. But it does not go anywhere near the protections that the Labor Party announced 12 months ago.

Sadly, this piece of legislation will not combat sham contracting. It will not shut down the practice of companies phoenixing to avoid wage liabilities, something that is particularly rife in the construction industry—and I say that with three brothers who work in that industry. It will not criminalise employer conduct that involves the use of coercian or threats during the commission of serious contraventions of the Fair Work Act in relation to temporary overseas workers—and I note that the member for Braddon touched on that in her contribution. It will not make it easier for workers to recover unpaid wages from employers and directors of responsible companies and it will not protect the take-home pay of the most vulnerable workers, people who rely on penalty rates as so clearly detailed by the member for Braddon, those weekend workers who miss their families for others like my mum did. She was a nurse who gave up so much of her life, and penalty rates made the difference. I can remember her missing out on so many of our Christmases. My wife, when she was a child protection worker, missed out on Christmas Days to help other people but missed out on family. Penalty rates have been part of the recognition of that sacrifice. Sadly, the Prime Minister has shown where his priorities lie, once again, by not standing up for the lowest-paid workers.

He has failed to protect low-paid workers who rely on penalty rates to pay for their essential living expenses. Up to 700,000 Australians will lose up to $77 per week. It does not sound like a lot for some people, perhaps in the suburbs around Point Piper, but I can tell you that there are people who are terrified at the idea of losing $77 per week—people who will have to work longer for less pay. Women will be disproportionately affected and also regional communities. I say as a Queenslander that my state is more regional than any other state. Regional communities will have less money to spend in their communities. Labor believes that it is fundamental that workers get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. That is a not new concept in Australia. In fact, it is not a new concept in the world. Labor will not sit back and do nothing when it comes to protecting vulnerable workers.

Labor has a private member's bill, the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take-Home Pay) Bill, which, if passed, would stop the cuts to penalty rates. The power is in the Prime Minister's hands right now. He keeps hiding behind a decision of the independent umpire but forgets that he has the power to step up in a democratic system like this parliament and save these people from misery. We will always stand up for workers by continuing to press for the passage of this bill through the House. Sadly, this husk of a Prime Minister continues to do nothing.

We know that Prime Minister Turnbull and other members of the government actually support cuts to penalty rates. We know that because we have continually heard it from those opposite. In fact, the Prime Minister himself said in 2005 that he believes there should be a free market so that the cost of labour will be as low as possible. In 2014, on ABC radio, the Prime Minister said that it was 'nuts' that cafes and restaurants closed on weekends, because penalty rates were so high. The Minister for Employment, Senator Michaelia Cash, said on Sky News in 2015 that 'in many industries in Australia, literally the seven days a week now are basically the same day'. I am sure she says that to every church that she goes to in the state of Western Australia. Senator Cash also said in 2015 that we need to cut penalty rates to be globally competitive. And they are not the only ones we have heard. The member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey, said that he was particularly critical of 'unrealistic penalty rates'. Senator James Paterson, that great left-winger from Victoria, said that penalty rates will have to be 'tackled'. The member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, and the Minister for Aged Care and member for Hasluck, Ken Wyatt, have both considered that scrapping penalty rates may be a benefit—and I could go on. There are dozens and dozens over there who fundamentally do not get penalty rates.

The Turnbull government is basically supporting scrapping penalty rates. It does not support vulnerable low-paid workers keeping their take-home pay, despite the reality of the 2017 economic landscape. Let's have a look at that landscape Inequality is at a 75-year high. Not since the Great Depression have we seen inequality this high. Wages growth is at historic lows. In fact, in some quarters it has even gone backwards. Underemployment is at record lows, particularly amongst young Australians. This is not the time to give our most vulnerable workers another kick in the guts. We need to protect these workers who rely on penalty rates to feed their families, to pay their rent and to send their children to school.

The Leader of the Opposition's private member's bill will protect the take-home pay of vulnerable workers. It will protect the take-home pay of all workers under awards. Our modern award system is designed to be a safety net. It is described on the Fair Work Commission website as the 'minimum safety net for national system employees'. Labor's private member's bill will make sure that the minimum safety net for all employees is protected. I cannot stress enough how important it is for all Australians that we protect the take-home pay of workers under our award system. It would be unAustralian not defend it. In fact, last weekend I had some volunteers turn out in my electorate to speak to people about penalty rates on a Sunday. We had stalls in Acacia Ridge, Annerley, Fairfield, Moorooka, Rocklea, Runcorn, Salisbury, Sherwood and Sunnybank. Volunteers came out in force, generously giving up their weekend to support the take-home pay of our lowest paid workers. So a big thank you to Helen, Libby, Frank, Amber, Ben, Leah, Mark, Rod, Sasha, Donna, Laurence, Scott, Matthew, Ken, Annamaria, Scarlett and David—to name but a few. So many people came up to them to sign the petition to protect penalty rates that we ran out of paper.

So we know that Australians care about penalty rates even if they do not benefit from those penalty rates or even, in fact, if they will have to pay a bit more for their coffee, their nurse, their chef or whatever. We know that Australians care about penalty rates. Labor cares about penalty rates. But this government fundamentally does not care about penalty rates and does not care about workers' rights.

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