James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009 and the Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Bill 2009. I speak in support of these bills. The member for O’Connor just spoke about various issues to do with job losses. I have run a small business for 14 years and I always run them on the principles of equity, fairness and giving workers a good day’s pay for a good day’s work. My business grew 700 per cent in nine years. That was to do with the ability of managers to manage and to cost out the wages bill accordingly against the goods and services that they provide to the people in their community. It comes down to good management, good business practice and costing things out accordingly. All things can be managed.

The Australian government has finally delivered—thank God—the death of Work Choices with the passage of the Fair Work Act 2009. This is what Australians voted for at the 2007 election and it has been delivered by the Rudd Labor government. Indeed, we can truly claim that we have the mandate of the people to put that gross legislation to death. That is what we were elected on: a mandate to get rid of Work Choices. And we have delivered on our promise to the people. Work Choices was an insidious piece of legislation that stripped away workers’ rights and conditions. The previous government went too far and the Australian people made that decision at the ballot box. We are getting the balance right on industrial relations, fulfilling our election promises and serving the interests of the Australian community. This government, the Rudd Labor government, has a vision and a goal for a better and fairer industrial relations system. We will deliver that.

State and territory governments, as well as unions, have been extensively consulted on all aspects of the Fair Work legislation. We on this side of the House understand that all stakeholder groups require consultation on very important laws that will govern the working lives of millions of employees and employers right around the nation. We take making decisions about industrial relations very seriously, unlike those on the other side, who decided that Liberal Party and National Party ideology on this issue must apply to all, period. There was no discussion and no compromise. But we involve all the stakeholders, because we understand that we all have to work together to build our economy. We are the party that believes in exhaustive consultation, not just on these issues but on the issues such as climate change and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. We have demonstrated that in the way in which we govern.

The Labor Party is the party of jobs. We are about building jobs and ensuring that workers are looked after and protected. We all have common interests. We all want work, safety, productivity, a financial reward and work/life balance, which is so important for families in this nation. We have struck the right balance. We have set up the Fair Work Act. We continue to strive to deliver the best laws for workers because that is the Australian way and that is the Labor way.

The Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Bill 2009 has been considered by the Committee on Industrial Legislation, which is made up of representatives of unions and employers, and amends the Fair Work Act to enable states to refer matters to the Commonwealth with a view to establishing a uniform national workplace relations system for employers and employees in the private sector. The provisions in the bills relating to the referral of Victoria’s industrial relations powers are the outcome of extensive consultation with the Victorian government. Again, I stress the exhaustive consultation that has gone on between workers, unions, businesses and peak interest groups. This government is well on the way to achieving its goal of a uniform national workplace relations system for the private sector. This legislation also provides scope for referring states to choose the extent to which the act would cover the public sector workforces.

I want to refer to members who have spoken previously in this debate. The member for Moncrieff ranted and raved about how he understands small business, but how many small businesses has he set up from the grassroots? I have spent 14 years in small business. I have set up two businesses from scratch. I have grown those businesses and looked after workers along the way. I ask the member for Moncrieff: how many businesses have you set up? How many people have you employed? How did you treat them, if you did employ them? I am not currently aware of him owning any small business. I ask him to give that information to me in time.

The member for O’Connor, who also spoke previously, is a Work Choices Muppet—or should I say ‘puppet’. He mouthed on about various religions and their days of worship. It does not matter about your religious belief; what matters is a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. Whenever people work they deserve health, safety and decent pay for a decent day’s work.

I come to this place having owned businesses for 14 years and having grown small businesses from the ground up. I have always looked after my workers. I have always treated them with dignity and respect. As a business owner I stood rock solid against Work Choices. It was unfair in the workplace. As a previous small business owner I stood against it. I felt the Work Choices laws that were in place were absolutely terrible. Profit is not everything; it is quality of life, quality in the workplace, health and safety, and community. Those on the other side do not consider the community; they only consider the self—the state of one. I endorse what we have put forward here today. I totally support these bills.

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