Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank two Western Australians. I want to thank the member for Swan and I want to thank Senator Cash. Senator Cash, in an interview on Sky News with Kieran Gilbert, was asked specifically about consultation with business. She set this test for the government: 'If the government were listening, they would have consulted with the job creators in this country before they introduced the legislation.' That was the test. I thought, 'Let's just go back through and work out what consultation was done with business prior to the introduction of the bill.' Senator Cash and some of those opposite in the debate have said absolutely nothing. I guess it's a bit like the old thing with the Romans: absolutely nothing—except for!

There was consultation with the BCA, with ACCI, with Ai Group, with COSBOA, with Clubs Australia, with the MBA, with the NFF, with AREEA, with the ACAPMA, with the manufacturing installation association and with individual employers, such as Qantas or Team Global Express, formerly known as Toll Group.

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