House debates Questions without Notice
Workplace Relations
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
3:03 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the statement by Spotlight about its 2c an hour AWA, ‘We are doing what we were told to do by the legislators.’ I also refer the Prime Minister to the comment made last night on the ABC Lateline program by Professor Ian Harper, chair of the government’s low pay commission, that the government’s legislation—and I quote—‘pushes’ the low pay commission to reduce the minimum wage in real terms. Prime Minister, last night, didn’t we just see the second leg of your 2c an hour wages race to the bottom, cutting the minimum wage?
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The answer to that question is no. But, if you want some statements about contempt for the low paid and contempt for the unemployed, can I take the House back only to 6 May 1993. Flush with having deceived the Australian public in the infamous election of 1993 with a dishonest campaign against the introduction of a GST, when interviewed on The 7.30 Report, the then Minister for Employment, Education and Training had this to say—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
It was Lateline, not The 7.30 Report.
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The member for Perth has asked his question.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
in response to a question. The interviewer said: ‘So this group’—namely the unemployed—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Stephen Smith interjecting
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
‘are being told in their 20s by society effectively, “You’re the losers. Go to the scrap heap”.’ In reply, the person being interviewed had this to say, ‘Well, for those who haven’t made it into work, who are among the long-term unemployed, that is a reasonable statement.’
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: standing order 104 is being breached. It was a clear question about last night’s Lateline, the low pay commission and the wages race to the bottom.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The member for Perth asked a reasonably lengthy question. The Prime Minister is in order.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
This reply by the then minister for employment but now Leader of the Opposition throws a spotlight, dare I say, onto the contempt that Labor has always had for the unemployed in this country.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
No. He’s got a point of order.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
On a point of order, Mr Speaker, in relation to standing order 104. It was a very short question from the member for Perth—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
and it was very specific. How can something prior to—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
It is irrelevant.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler is now warned. When you are asked to resume your seat you resume your seat! The member for Perth asked a question which had a number of points in it. It mentioned legislators and it mentioned the Fair Pay Commission. The Prime Minister is in order.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Albanese interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Grayndler will remove himself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Grayndler then left the chamber.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
But that remark by the Leader of the Opposition, in his then manifestation, was only the half of it because he then went on to say, on 30 June 1993, at the National Press Club:
Anything like full employment, however defined, will be desperately difficult to recapture in this country.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the question was about the minimum wage in 2006 and him wanting to reduce it. He has not addressed that at all.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
He is not answering the question.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth will resume his seat! The Prime Minister is answering—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
He is not answering the question. It is about—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
But—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Speaker, my answer is about the minimum wage that a million Australians received in the early 1990s and that minimum wage was the dole. That is very relevant to the policies of this government. Unlike the Labor Party, we do not regard somebody who, in the height of a recession induced by failed policies, cannot get a job as being on the scrapheap.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition is given considerable latitude because of his position. He should show more respect for this House.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Stephen Smith interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth will remove himself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Perth then left the chamber.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The Prime Minister is answering the question. The Prime Minister will be heard.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Speaker, unlike the Australian Labor Party—
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Fowler will remove herself under standing order 94(a).
The member for Fowler then left the chamber.
Roger Price Chifley, Australian Labor Party
On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the question did not contain any request about alternative views but was directed at the low pay commission.
David Hawker Speaker
The Chief Opposition Whip will tell me where the point of order is.
David Hawker Speaker
The Chief Opposition Whip will resume his seat. I have ruled on that point of order.
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Mr Speaker, I would point out to the Chief Opposition Whip there is no low pay commission. The only time in the last 25 years this nation has needed a low pay commission was when Labor was last in power, to look after the interests of those people whom the Leader of the Opposition was prepared to leave on the scrapheap. Labor has never really cared about the unemployed in this country, and for the first time in a generation this country has a government that cares about the unemployed of Australia. I am proud of the way in which we have brought the unemployment rate down; I am proud of the job opportunities we have given to the men and women of Australia, and the Labor Party has no alternatives other than misrepresentation. Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.