Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment and Water (Senate)) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to also take note of the answers given by our Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator Cash, to Senator Cameron's question on the unwillingness of the government, and indeed Senator Cash's own role, in being prepared to protect the penalty rates of Australian workers, specifically hair and beauty workers across our country. I must say, despite Senator Cash's impressive attempts to try and avoid answering these targeted questions, her message was, nevertheless, fairly clear. It is clear this government will not stand up for the 85,000 workers in the beauty industry who are at risk of losing their penalty rates, after the hair and beauty employers made their submission to the Fair Work Commission this week. They have called for cuts to the penalty rates of workers in this industry.

The minister's answers show us that this government is simply not prepared to stand up for these workers. These workers are not well paid, as anyone who talks to their hairdresser knows. I have to say I certainly hope that Senator Cash does not get her hair or her nails done on a weekend, because she doesn't think her hairdresser deserves to be paid for working on the weekend. No-one should have to put up with that. These 84,000 workers now join an ever-growing number of workers who are at risk of losing their penalty rates—penalty rates on which they very much depend to make ends meet week after week.

We know that last July penalty rate cuts kicked in for 700,000 workers in the retail, hospitality, fast food and pharmacy sectors. Is it any coincidence that wage growth is stagnating in this country? You only need to look at these kinds of figures to see where wages in this country are going. It seems to me that it's likely that this government wants to see hair and beauty workers be next. Who after that? We know, importantly, that aged-care workers are specifically also very worried about their penalty rates. We know that cost of living is rising and wage growth has hit record lows, but we continue to see these attacks on the wages of workers. It's all very well for those opposite to talk about their trickle-down economics of company tax cuts. The simple fact is: why can't you stand up for the penalty rates of workers who work on the weekends for some of these very big corporations? Your failure to do so shows me very clearly that I don't have any confidence in your expectation, your argument, that company tax cuts will eventually benefit workers. Under this government, we see life just getting harder and harder for ordinary Australians. When will you stand up and support these workers?

On the other hand, we are steadfastly clear in our opposition to penalty rate cuts. We want to see this parliament legislate on this question. Those opposite have done nothing to stand up to this issue. Penalty rates are not a luxury for workers in our country. Millions of Australians and their families rely on them every day. However, we have a Prime Minister that is too busy looking after the big end of town, looking after his friends in the top tax brackets, giving millionaires more than $16,000 a year in tax cuts and handing out tax cuts to big business while taking away from hardworking, low-paid Australians. It is absolutely deplorable that this government fails to stand up to protect Australian workers, and Minister Cash's answer shows this. (Time expired)