Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Hansard source

You can talk about Gina Rinehart, Member for Moreton, and all the hatred that pours out of the Labor Party for people who put their lives on the line to try to build a better and more prosperous Australia. They employ thousands of Australians. The bile can come out of the Labor and Greens members all that they like, but it does not take away from the fact that we should be finding ways to support them and not finding ways to make it harder.

This amendment highlights the vast difference between those on the Left, like the member for Moreton and the member for Melbourne, and those of us on this side, who believe in Australians and trust them to look after their own best interests and look for the flexibility they require.

If you give them the freedom to choose, they will work it out with their employer. They are quite capable, they are well educated, they are well trained, they are hard workers and they want a better life. This place should step out of those arrangements. It should be left to the employer and the employee to work out the best way to manage their work and family arrangements. That is why we do not support this amendment bill.

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