Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government is out of touch. It is prepared to give millionaires a tax cut of $16,400 on 1 July, whereas the next day people in my electorate will have their penalty rates cut. Over 700,000 workers throughout Australia will have their penalty rates cut, whilst those who can afford it will have a tax cut. Those opposite do not understand that low wages growth means that business conditions, critically for small businesses in a regional area like Northern Tasmania, are made even more difficult. People need to have secure employment in order to fully participate in our communities. Low-paid workers, people in insecure work, students trying to support themselves by study—all rely on penalty rates and the extra income that can be received while working on a Sunday. There are personal stories around the loss of penalty rates. Kids may not be able to attend sport because their parents lost the extra income from working on a Sunday. Workers in Bass need a pay rise, not a pay cut. Every small business benefits from the circulation of money within the community, money which will be scarce if there is a real cut in wages. Our lowest paid spend most of their pay packet on day-to-day expenses. They do not deserve a pay cut. This government can change the lot of 700,000 workers on 2 July by supporting Labor's bill to save penalty rates. It is vitally important that we understand the pressures that are on businesses and working families in regional Australia. Our people in Bass need penalty rates to survive.