Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Hansard source

Only in Australia could a prime minister host a three-day productivity summit, and then, right after it ends, encourage Australians to not do any work. Yet, that's exactly what happened last week. Right after the government spent three days talking for hours and hours about how to get this country moving, the PM released a video on his social media boasting about his right to disconnect law—a law that says the boss can't contact staff after hours.

They talked about how businesses are struggling, how inflation is biting and how our economy needs serious reform. But the moment it was over, their colours were revealed. The PM was on X, reminding everyone that he has ensured they have the right to not answer the phone, to not check emails and to not do any work over the weekend. Think about that! A small-business owner can't even text an employee about Monday morning without risking a complaint. On the one hand, this government says it wants productivity; on the other hand, this government brings in laws that discourage stability, kill initiative and make it harder for people to get ahead.

No-one is saying that you should work 24/7. But, if we want to compete globally, if we want to reward hard work and ambition, we can't keep punishing people for doing a little extra. Our country was built by people who went the extra mile. But now we've got a government telling us to clock out and chill—right after preaching about productivity. It is no wonder we're going nowhere fast.

Do you know what the solution is? I keep saying it: the solution is less government, more freedom. There is your productivity boosting measure.