Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does government policy agree with the member for Chisholm, who told Kristina Keneally on Sky today that she would be telling her electorate the decision to cut penalty rates for 700,000 Australians is a good thing?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, we will not take members opposite as reliable stenographers for the statements from the government members. But the reality is that the honourable member opposite would well know that those five Labor appointees on the Fair Work Commission, every single one, were appointed by a Labor government—four by his leader, the member for Maribyrnong, the Leader of the Opposition. They were all appointed by the Labor Party, and the president, Mr Ross, spent his life working for the ACTU. The reference was delivered to them by the Labor Party. He heard thousands of pages of evidence, hundreds of witnesses and came to the conclusion that a reduction in Sunday penalty rates of the levels proposed would increase employment. That was the considered decision of the Fair Work Commission, and we accept that decision. We support the decision of the independent umpire because it is their decision.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You either support the independent umpire or you do not. We support the independent umpire and we support the independent umpire whether it is the courts or whether it is the Fair Work Commission.

What the Labor Party is doing is endeavouring to walk away from a commitment over many years, many decades to supporting the independent umpire's decision. That decision is one that was carefully considered. And honourable members opposite need to look at what they have done in practice in EBA after EBA around the nation. In fact, I understand from Mr Strong, the chief executive of COSBOA, that 80 per cent of retail workers in Australia on shop distributive and allied trades awards are working on Sundays at penalty rates lower than those set by the Fair Work Commission. That is the fact.

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So if it is good enough for the shop distributive and allied trades union, if it is good enough for the shoppies, if it is good enough for the AWU, if it is good enough for them, why are those opposite condemning the decision of the independent umpire, the members of which they appointed, the decisions of which they said they would support? They appointed it, they established it, they claim they support independent umpires in industrial matters and now they are walking away from it, undermining, as Jennie George said, a fundamental element in the industrial relations system.

Ms Henderson interjecting—

Ms Ryan interjecting—

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Corangamite will cease interjecting as will the member for Lalor, and the member for Adelaide is warned.