House debates

Thursday, 25 February 2010

Questions without Notice

Workplace Relations

3:19 pm

Photo of Yvette D'AthYvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. What have been the recent comments about industrial relations policy, and what would be the implications for Australian workers?

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for her question, which I think is a very relevant one on a day when we have been treated to the remarkable spectacle of the party of Work Choices pretending that it cares about working people. On this side of the House, we will always stand for the principle of ‘a fair days work deserves a fair days pay’ and we will always stand for the principle that it is vital for working people to be able to get jobs, which is why we moved quickly and decisively to stimulate employment in the Australian economy during the global financial crisis and the global recession. Whereas, despite all of their feigned concern for working people, sitting opposite us is the party of Work Choices, the party that did not support economic stimulus and did not support Australian jobs. If they had had their way, more than 200,000 extra Australians would be out of work today.

I am asked about recent commentary on industrial relations. I have studied recent commentary on industrial relations and am therefore in a position to tell the House—as remarkable as today’s spectacle has been—about something even more remarkable. Of course, we know that the current Leader of the Opposition is the fourth person to lead the Liberal Party in two years. But I have discovered from looking at recent commentary that there are actually two Leaders of the Opposition at the moment. There are two Tonys, and the two Tonys say quite different things depending on the audiences that they are talking to. So, last Tuesday, when the Leader of the Opposition was out in the full glare of the press cameras, knowing that he was speaking to the Australian people, he said, ‘Work Choices is dead.’ He was full of reassurances—‘Work Choices is dead.’

But there is another Tony Abbott, another Leader of the Opposition, and this is the Leader of the Opposition who was speaking at a Chamber of Commerce and Industry lunch in Brisbane. When he thought he was amongst friends and thought he was talking to employers, he thought he could get out the truth. In those circumstances, the Leader of the Opposition verified that, if he were elected Prime Minister, individual statutory employment agreements would be back—Australian workplace agreements would be back. And we know that one of the principal uses of these Australian workplace agreements was to strip away penalty rates. For working families under cost-of-living pressures, we on this side of the House understand that it is vital to have a job and it is vital to be fairly treated at work, including receiving penalty rates. On the other side of the House, they do not understand the importance of jobs, and the Leader of the Opposition has verified that, if he was Prime Minister, there would be individual statutory employment agreements that strip away penalty rates.

As deeply divided as they are on so many questions, there is a unity ticket amongst those opposite on this. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, obviously having got the cue from the Leader of the Opposition, was on radio singing from the same song sheet. She said:

Bringing back inflexible working conditions such as the penalty rates regime is costing employers more …

So, from her point of view, this is all about taking costs away from employers. What she does not understand is that that is ripping money out of the pay packets of hardworking Australians. But the unity ticket continues. The Leader of the Opposition wants to knock off penalty rates, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants to knock off penalty rates, and then they are supported by the current spokesperson for workplace relations, Senator Abetz, who got on the radio and said, ‘Julie Bishop is absolutely right.’ They have a unity ticket on knocking off penalty rates. That is what the Liberal Party stand for.

We also have to remember that the Leader of the Opposition has not only confirmed individual statutory employment agreements to knock off penalty rates; he has also confirmed that he is going to rip away the ability of workers to complain about unfair dismissals. So you can see the two-act play here, can’t you? If the current Leader of the Opposition becomes Prime Minister, on day one, the employer can tell you ‘no more penalty rates’ and, if you complain about it, on day two, you can be sacked without any reason or any remedy given to you.

We all should have known this from having a look at the Leader of the Opposition’s book Battle Lines. I know that not everybody was intrigued enough to buy a copy—and I certainly do not recommend that people do.

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Abbott interjecting

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

I cannot hear you. How many did you sell?

Photo of Tony AbbottTony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Abbott interjecting

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition is verifying that there were 20,000 Australians with questionable taste who went and bought the book—not a significant percentage.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The minister will come to a conclusion and those on my left will come to order.

Photo of Julia GillardJulia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Of course, some had to buy it for work purposes. If you actually look at the book, there it is—all verified by the Leader of the Opposition. He is there saying, ‘Work Choices wasn’t all bad.’ Well, now we know what he means: he did not like the title ‘Work Choices’ but he did like the substance of Work Choices. Maybe he did not like the mouse pads and what we will see from him these days are golf balls to sell his new industrial relations plan. But, whatever you call it and whatever propaganda you use to sell it, it is bad for working Australians—and they know that.

Photo of Kevin RuddKevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.