James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party are out of touch with modern Australia. While Australians are suffering with high electricity prices thanks to 'Blackout' Bowen, higher mortgage and rental repayments, higher costs for their groceries and petrol and higher insurance premiums the three big-ticket items the Labor Party are focusing on are: one, a divisive Canberra Voice; two, a misinformation bill to censor what Australians can say; and, three, a fair work bill that wants to bring our industrial relations back to the knee-capping trade unionists of the 1970s. Good priorities, Labor Party!

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes ) Bill 2023 gives union thugs the right to bust into businesses, including small businesses, without any notice whenever they believe there is a risk of so-called wage underpayment. What loophole does this close? This bill will give union thugs the power to go through the finances and employee registers of businesses. There's no minimal requirement for what evidence they need to go through this information. It can just be a suspicion. This is completely ridiculous.

Prime Minister, Australians are hurting right now. Queenslanders are hurting right now. Queenslanders are desperate for a federal government that will listen to them, that will help them and that will reduce their grocery bills, power prices and rent payments. But the Labor Party are all about wanting to help their donors, and their donors are the union movement. This is all about the Labor Party repaying the unions, who bankrolled their election campaign. The coalition wants to help Australians. The coalition wants to help Queenslanders. The Labor Party just wants to help itself.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about the need for a fair deal and a level playing field for road transport workers, small transport companies and owner-drivers right across this country. The crisis faced by transport workers in this country has led to hundreds of businesses being forced to close their doors and led to workers leaving the industry or, worse, dying on our roads. Transport workers deserve better, and they deserve a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

Today I met with transport workers and business operators struggling to stay afloat in an industry under increasing pressure. I met with James Scott, an employee driver. James is a father of three from my home state of Tasmania who has worked in the road transport industry for 20 years. One of the things he wants changed is the creeping in of lower safety standards for drivers. This is happening because of gig workers and the standards accepted by Uber and other drive-sharing and delivery companies.

Most recently we heard of the sickening incident and death of Burak Dogan, a gig economy worker. The 30-year-old student and Uber Eats rider was struck by a truck. At the same time he laid dead, stuck under the wheel, he received two further delivery requests from the app. I commend the Transport Workers Union and its national secretary Michael Kaine for advocating for this man's family, who rightly deserve compensation.

The transport industry can no longer afford to be pushing down wages and leaving the industry at breaking point. This is why the Albanese government this week introduced reforms to give the Fair Work Commission the power to set minimum standards for hundreds of thousands of employee-like workers on digital platforms and apps. There is nothing more important than safety and fairness in this country, and we will stand up for those workers each and every day.