House debates

Tuesday, 20 June 2006

Questions without Notice

Workplace Relations

2:15 pm

Photo of Stephen SmithStephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his assertion yesterday that Esselte workers would be $27 a week better off under the now withdrawn Esselte AWA. Isn’t it the case that David Rojas, an Esselte worker for 15 years, has calculated that the AWA offered to him would cut his personal take-home pay by $50 a week—10 per cent of his weekly wage? Didn’t the Prime Minister’s assertion rely on a seven-paragraph media statement prepared at the government’s request by Esselte which does not refer to the alleged $27 a week? Haven’t both the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Prime Minister refused media requests to release their $27-a-week calculation? How does the Prime Minister explain himself to David Rojas and why did he mislead the Australian people yesterday?

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

We have not misled the Australian people and nor have we misled the parliament. The person who has done the misleading is, in fact, the member for Perth.

Photo of Ms Catherine KingMs Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | | Hansard source

Ms King interjecting

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The member for Ballarat is warned!

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I remind the member for Perth that the AWA offered to Esselte staff increased the minimum hourly rate to $18.39 an hour—

Photo of Stephen SmithStephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Stephen Smith interjecting

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The member for Perth has asked his question.

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

compared to the collective agreement rate of $17.13. This was said in the parliament yesterday.

Photo of Stephen SmithStephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

Put your calculation out.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Perth is warned!

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

On this basis, a calculation along the lines of that made by the member for Perth shows an employee working 38 ordinary hours and three hours overtime would actually be $27 a week better off and over $4,000 better off over three years. The member for Perth asks me to release the calculations. I have just repeated them; I do not need to release them. Self-evidently, the member for Perth has been caught out telling porkies. He said, ‘$65 a week worse off’, ‘$27 a week better off’.

Photo of Cameron ThompsonCameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Cameron Thompson interjecting

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The member for Blair is warned!

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

He is arithmetically challenged to the tune of $92 a week. He is the person who has been telling the porky. He has been caught out. You do not have to be very bright to work out from those calculations that the member for Perth has been caught out again.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would ask that the Prime Minister table his calculations for the benefit of the House.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler—

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister said before the House yesterday that he had been given a document by Esselte. I am asking that the document that he was reading from be tabled.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler would be aware that he can ask the Prime Minister whether he could table the document he was quoting from.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | | Hansard source

I am doing that. I ask that the document he was reading from be tabled so that we can see whether there is a real document or if he is just making it up.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler has now asked whether the Prime Minister would table the document he has in front of him. Prime Minister, is the document confidential?

Photo of John HowardJohn Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

The document I was quoting from very briefly is marked ‘Confidential’. But I might add that the Esselte document was a press release, so I assume the member has it.

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

I call the honourable member for Bass. The member for Grayndler will resume his seat; I have called the member for Bass.