Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Wannon asked me how many had union backgrounds. Eight out of ten appointed to Fair Work Australia between December 2009 and December 2011 had union backgrounds. The member for Maribyrnong may want to know why the government has increased compulsory super from nine per cent to 12 per cent. The reason is that this will see more than $8 billion annually go into industry super funds. Who are the big beneficiaries in industry super funds? It is the unions—the unions that dominate the Labor Party and dictate the policy of the Labor Party.

Let me remind the House and all those that are listening around Australia to this telecast that only 12 per cent of Australians working in the private sector workforce are members of unions. In the general Australian workforce only 18 per cent are in a union. But on the front bench—and I am looking at you, the member for Maribyrnong—100 per cent are members of unions. In the caucus, 70 per cent are members of a union. One hundred per cent of the front bench are members of a union and 70 per cent of the caucus are former union officials. We talk about the gene pool of the Labor Party shrinking before our eyes. We know why: the unions are dominating the membership of the other side.

More and more members of the Australian workforce are giving up the union ticket because they want to have a say where their money goes. They want flexibility in the workplace. They want you to change your unfair dismissal laws. You owe it to them to loosen up your unfair dismissal laws. We want to get the regulation off the back of small business. We want to see some freedom in the workplace rather than just the unions dominating the show. Why did you increase super from nine per cent to 12 per cent? You did it because you wanted to see $8 billion a year flow back into the industry super funds. Member for Maribyrnong, why do 50 per cent of the votes at your federal conference automatically go to the Labor Party? Why have eight out of the 10 appointments to Fair Work Australia gone to people with union backgrounds?

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