07-December-2005
Speeches, Workplace Relations
Mr ROBB (Goldstein) (10.00 a.m.)—I stand to support the passing of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005 and to oppose the amendments put by the opposition. The legislation will be fundamentally good for Australia for years to come—for decades to come. What has happened in the last few months in regard to workplace relations on the other side of the House has been nothing but a totally cynical political exercise. Opposition members have frightened people. Opposition members have talked down the economy. They have denigrated employers en masse with the sole intent of kick-starting their 2007 election campaign. That is all it is—an exercise in kick-starting their 2007 election campaign. It is not about the workers. If the opposition were about the workers, they would not have remained mute over the last few months on any alternative set of policies. Not one alternative has been put to us.
Today what did we hear? ‘Kill the bill’. There was no suggestion of any alternative. They base their campaign solely on ‘the vulnerable’. We have heard about nothing but their concern about the vulnerable. The current system has failed the vulnerable. Your system has failed the vulnerable. To be credible with the vulnerable, they must present an alternative solution. But we have heard no word of any alternative. The current system is excruciatingly complex, with hundreds of pages of unintelligible provisions in every award. Employers and employees alike have no understanding of all these rules, especially the hundreds of thousands of small and medium sized businesses. As a result, around two million workers today are in workplaces that effectively operate outside the system. Have we heard any mention of this on the other side of the House? Who does this expose—the two million operating outside the system? It exposes the vulnerable. Who has said nothing about this system’s failure over recent months? It is the Labor Party and their union cronies. Under Work Choices, for the first time five strong minimum conditions must be paid by law—not just for those on awards and not just for those in workplace agreements but by every employer and to every employee.
What about the two million outside the system? The opposition ignore them because they are not good union fodder—they do not pay dues. Go for the big workplaces, where you can feather your nests—that is what it is all about. If employers do not pay these five minimum conditions the Workplace Services Inspectorate can be contacted, and these employers will be charged. Casuals get a 20 per cent loading, which more than compensates them for their lack of sick leave and public holidays. It is called protecting the vulnerable. That is what we have done.
The campaign on the other side is all about politics. It is all about unionists getting themselves elected to parliament and about protecting the 80 per cent already there who have a union background. That is what it is about. In the process the unions have had a lovely time, floating around. Instead of doing the hard yakka and representing their members, they are running around the country amusing themselves. They have discovered campaigning. They are like a kid with a new toy, and aren’t they pleased with themselves! What is it all costing? Walk past any fine restaurant in Canberra and who do you see there? You see Sharan Burrows, Greg Combet, Bill Shorten et al, sitting up having a lovely time, toasting their success with fine wines. You don’t find a schooner—there is no-one with a schooner in their hands. They are there toasting their great success.
The opposition do not like the truth; they hate it. They have played politics for months. Why don’t they provide some alternative and look after the vulnerable, instead of looking after themselves? They are feeling vulnerable. That is why they are running a political campaign. They are trying to get their mates in here with them—80 or 90 per cent of them are unionists. They are protecting themselves, not the vulnerable. This is good legislation. It will stimulate the economy, protect jobs and will help Australia to prosper for years to come. (Time expired)