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

I will withdraw the word and change it to 'abuse' of this place, Mr Deputy Speaker—abuse of legislative instruments to give curry to the minister's vested interests in the Australian industrial relations environment, to the union movement. That is what this bill is about: creating two new taxpayer funded positions, to the extent of at least $8 million over the forward estimates, to allow this government to future-proof Fair Work Australia and its operations.

The minister should come in, in the summing up of this debate, before this parliament gives consideration and before this bill passes, and explain: what is the urgent need? There is capacity with the two current vice-presidents to pick up the load. The report itself, the bill upon which we are debating—even though he has had this since June, in the dying days of this year we are debating this bill in an urgent manner, overriding the normal procedures, Mr Deputy Speaker, as you well know. This bill has not been sitting on the table for the required length of time, giving the opposition just hours to consider its position. Thankfully, with the assistance of outside parties, we have been made aware of some of these issues, and the parliament should give consideration to them.

This minister should explain himself. He should explain where this recommendation comes from, what he is trying to achieve, why he is creating $8 million of taxpayer funded positions over the next eight years for an organisation whose biggest issues are not its staffing capacity. By far and away its biggest issues are not its staffing capacity. We know that from what we have seen from the HSU scandal. We know that from what people are telling us within Fair Work Australia. This is a disgrace; it is a scandal. And the minister should explain himself. They are trying to force this through prior to the potential government changing early next year, so they have future-proofed Fair Work Australia, and the minister should answer it. He should answer why he is using $8 million worth of taxpayers' money, and the parliament should not pass this bill until the minister has given a reasonable explanation about why this is being used to assist not the Australian public or its economy but the Labor Party and its friends.

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