Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Murray, you are aware that the award modernisation request is in the explanatory memorandum—and the government has been transparent about that. I understand the point you are making. It seems to me that what the government is doing is requesting the commission to undertake a process. What you are asking is really one of the issues that the commission would grapple with and consider in terms of implementing the award modernisation process. I am sure you are aware that we had a very clear commitment to the modernisation of awards in our pre-election policies. The bill effects that commitment. I am advised that this would logically be one of the matters that the commission would consider in the context of the award modernisation process.