Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

My question was more around the flexibility element. In answering your questions before about where this line of questioning is coming from and if we actually oppose penalty rates, I again reaffirm, as I have multiple times, that we do not and we do not have any issue with protecting penalty rates.

What we're also trying to do is ensure we protect workers' rights to flexibility, which is something that has become significantly important to Australian workers, particularly as they navigate a cost-of-living crisis and a housing crisis. That flexibility is such an important element of making everyday life just that little bit simpler when things are already very hard. So the question was around why it is now more difficult to negotiate flexibility or flexible arrangements as a result of this legislation, because it must now be done with an IFA—which, we have made very clear, are difficult, complex and rarely used—or an EBA.