Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. Will the minister explain the need for positive policies that support Australians to get a fair go at work and help them to balance time between work and family? Is the minister aware of any obstacles to this support?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Makin for his question. He knows that Labor stands for good jobs, he knows that Labor stands for a fair go all around and he knows that this Labor government stands for getting the work-life family balance right. He also knows that it is important that the people of Australia understand the position of the two major parties in terms of workplace relations.

Workplace relations is an appropriate matter for debate in the national parliament of Australia. Even if some opposite do not like what we stand for on workplace relations, people know what we stand for. We stand for fair laws to protect people against unfair dismissal. We stand for improving superannuation from nine to 12 per cent for people like the 46,000 voters in the member for Makin's electorate. People know that we stand for the recognition that there should be penalty rates for people who work family-unfriendly hours. People know that we stand for safer roads via Safe Roads for truck drivers. People know that Labor stands for better protection for outworkers.

What people do not know is the opposition's workplace relations policy. This is an obstacle. It renders a disservice to the people of Australia. Whatever people think about the merits of competing policies, they do have a right to expect that the so-called alternative government of Australia will front up on industrial relations and tell us their policies. But not all is lost.

First of all we have the Leader of the Opposition, who uses cliches as a substitute for thinking. The opposition leader always says, 'We will be in the sensible centre.' The opposition's policies could not fill out a full tweet. But what we also do have is the actions of the state governments, because if we cannot find what goes on at the national level it is legitimate for this parliament to debate the actions of their fraternal political party, at the state level. And we know what the opposition stands for through their state brothers and sisters. They stand for job cuts, for terrible processes in the way they implement job cuts, for not guaranteeing the transfer of people's entitlements if they are outsourced.

Mr Hockey interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney is warned.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But all is not lost. Not only can we see what state governments do to represent their opposition policy, but we have the rise of a couple of IR hawks. I congratulate Senator Sinodinos and the member for Mayo. Whilst I do not agree with what they stand for in industrial relations, at least we know they stand for something. Although it does raise an interesting question. In September last year the member for Mayo said we should bring back individual statutory contracts. Is this the sort of freelancing that the opposition leader will require him not to say, now that he has received a promotion.

The reality is that it is not fair on the Australian people that the opposition hide their policies. Cowardice is no substitute for national political debate. Being a small target and negative is no substitute for talking about workplace relations. You can run but you cannot hide over the next year. We will have a workplace relations debate. (Time expired)

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Why is fairness central to industrial relations policy.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Makin for this question. There is no doubt that you must have in the Australian workplace a fair go all around. Every day 11½ million people go to work every day. There is a proposition running amok in certain conservative ranks that somehow the current laws should be overturned as we have gone too fair on the pendulum to fairness. We are a government that will always fight for the rights of people not to be unfairly dismissed. We are a government that will always fight for the right of people to have penalty rates. We are a government that will always fight for the right of long-distance truck drivers to come home safely.

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And why was Kevin treated so unfairly.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Indi is warned.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are a government that will fight for the right of migrant outworkers not to be exploited. We know where we stand and the Australian people know where we stand. But there are serious questions, not just about the past but also in the present, about what the coalition will do on workplace relations if elected to power.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How can it be relevant to talk about unfair processes when he will not address the unfair dismissal from his job?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will leave the chamber under 94(a). That is a complete abuse of the processes.

The member for Curtin then left the chamber.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It comes as no surprise to anyone in this House or anyone listening that those in the opposition would never speak up in favour of protections on unfair dismissal laws in Australia. It comes as no surprise.

Opposition members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order—the member for Dickson!

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the opposition is fair dinkum about protecting people from unfair dismissal will they offer us their policy? I think not. There are another 12 months where this parliament will chase the Liberals until we get their IR policy. (Time expired)

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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