Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

One of the questions he effectively asked was, 'Is paying penalty rates terrible for small business?' and I am answering that question. I am answering that question very, very clearly. We believe that people should get penalty rates that rely on the award. We are taking steps to protect those penalty rates. This isn't a proposition that hasn't been widely consulted. Of course, I have widely consulted, including COSBOA and a range of different small business and larger employer organisations.

Ultimately, though, the shadow minister is having difficulty understanding the results of the election. We put this proposition clearly to the Australian people, and they endorsed this proposition. Australians that are our lowest-paid workers should not go backwards. They shouldn't have less take-home pay in their pockets. This is what this provision is protecting here, and the shadow minister and the Liberal Party and the National Party need to front up and actually make a decision: do they support people's take-home pay going backwards, or do they want to preserve it? (Time expired)

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