Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Liberal Party introduced a system of workplace relations that truly misrepresented Australian values. It forced it onto the Australian people, and when Australians had an opportunity to say no, at the last election, they did so. The Liberals wanted awards to wither away. What we on this side of the chamber say is that modern awards will play a valuable role in industrial relations. They will ensure not only that employees have the effective right to bargain collectively but that they will also be supported by standards that apply to all employees covered by the federal award system. The Rudd government will ensure modern awards include minimum wages in classifications and types of employment, overtime rates, penalty rates, allowances, superannuation and other matters to ensure that we have a truly modern award system. It will also include 10 national employment standards to ensure that not only issues such as public holidays— (Time expired)