Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

although, now that you mention it, of course, just like Senator Roberts, you voted for every crazy policy that put pressure on working people in this country, and this Labor government is going to do something about it through our fair work bill.

We took a plan to the Australian people at the last election, and that plan was to announce a secure Australian jobs plan which contains a commitment to address getting the same pay for doing the same job. We were onto this issue way before Senator Roberts even dreamed it up, but not only that; we took a policy to the last election to deal with the issue. We had a plan for this very issue that Senator Roberts claims that he's got some interest in. Now, under the Secure Australian Jobs plan, the government committed to delivering more secure jobs, better pay and fairer workplace relations, including ensuring that labour hire workers and workers engaged in other non-standard arrangements such as outsourcing receive no less than directly engaged employees performing the same work. It's a very simple proposition that, if you're doing a job that's valued at a particular rate of pay under an award, agreement or some other instrument, if somebody else comes into your workplace to do the same job, that person should receive the same pay. It's a very, very simple proposition.

Under the previous government, abuses occurred and, even though the government was aware of it and the industrial relations minister was aware of it, nothing was done about it. We recognised the problem, we took a proposal to the Australian people at the last election, and we were elected to government. I would say this, Acting Deputy President—and I know you know a lot about these sorts of issues—we have a mandate to fix this problem. Not only do we have a mandate to fix this problem; we are going to fix this problem.

Honourable senators interjecting—