House debates Questions without Notice
Workplace Relations
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
2:54 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to an AWA offered by Lufthansa airline’s Australian subsidiary Global Tele Sales to its call centre employees, and to confidential internal documents associated with the AWA. Isn’t it the case that the AWA reduces penalty rates for Sunday and public holiday work, abolishes early morning and evening penalty rates and reduces base rates of pay? Isn’t it also the case that, on Global’s own calculations, a general reservations agent earning the base rate pay under Global’s AWA would be $49.86 a week worse off, $2,593 a year worse off or $5,186 worse off over the two-year life of the agreement when compared with the current collective agreement?
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
I thank the member for Perth for his question, because—
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Whatever you do, don’t have a reshuffle, John!
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
I am aware of a report which the member for Perth referred to this morning by the Workplace Rights Advocate about this particular AWA. An interesting part of this report is that the Victorian Workplace Rights Advocate, appointed by the Victorian Labor government, says in his report that, for reasons that he sets out, he is referring this complaint to the Office of Workplace Services—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
So what?
David Hawker Speaker
Order! The member for Perth has asked his question.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
which the Leader of the Opposition described in this place yesterday as ‘snivelling liars’. The Victorian Workplace Rights Advocate is referring this matter to that very same Office of Workplace Services. This is an indictment on the Leader of the Opposition and the ALP for his disgraceful, cowardly and slanderous comments that he made yesterday.
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Tanner interjecting
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. My question was about an AWA, where people are $2,593 a year worse off.
David Hawker Speaker
The minister is answering the substance of the question.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
This report reveals two things. One is that, yes, there is a reduction in the base rate of pay of up to four per cent. But what the member for Perth failed to reveal in his question—as we have heard from him in the past—is that there is also a bonus system introduced under this arrangement, a bonus system that returns up to 16 per cent per annum.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Nicola Roxon Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney-General
Ms Roxon interjecting
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
If the member for Perth was prepared to come in here and tell the whole truth about this matter, he would have also revealed that there is up to a net 12 per cent increase for workers under this particular arrangement. The member for Perth has form. He came in here earlier in the year in relation to an agreement with Esselte and failed to disclose the full terms of that agreement, which, when investigated, revealed something else.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Not true.
Kevin Andrews Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service
We have the ACTU running misleading and deceptive advertisements which, when investigated by the Office of Workplace Services, are shown to be wrong, are shown to be misleading and deceptive. And he is up to the same old tricks once again here in the House today. I say to members of the House and I say to the Australian public: whenever you hear an allegation, whether it is from the member for Perth or the Leader of the Opposition or the ACTU, you cannot take it on face value because, even on what he said today, he has failed to tell the whole truth.