Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, the Leader of the Opposition has been outed as the great pretender. He comes into parliament pretending to care about Australian workers and he prances around the country in his big red bus, pretending to want to save penalty rates, but these fake tears come from a man who, when he headed up the AWU, signed away the penalty rates of thousands of workers while taking secret payments for his union. Research from the Department of Employment shows how, all over Australia, the unions are short-changing Sunday workers. Sunday workers at Big W, Pizza Hut, McDonald's and David Jones will have to work up to 50 hours a week to offset the impact of these union deals. How is it fair that unions and big business clinch awards discounts while unions and Labor want small family businesses to pay higher rates? The Leader of the Opposition attacks the Fair Work Commission, which he set up, but when his union mates do deals to undercut workers he goes silent. It shows that the Leader of the Opposition is all hypocrisy, lacks integrity and certainly can't be trusted to run this nation. He may have treated the hardworking members of the AWU like mugs, but the Australian people will see straight through his double standards.

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

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.