Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always a pleasure to follow the member for Werriwa, who is from an iconic Labor family, who is clearly knowledgeable on the subject he just spoke on and who does his research. It was also interesting to hear the member for Moreton in his address. He is obviously passionate about occupational health and safety because of his experience with his family in workplace situations. All of us, every one of us who comes into this place, bring what I would call our own baggage. It is the baggage of our past, our experience, our experience with the union, our experience with business—wherever we have come through.

My desire to have more flexible workplaces in this country is because in my business activity we had a flexible workplace, just as the member for Werriwa described. He even said that there is a place for flexibility in the workplace. In my years in business, many of the people who worked for me wanted to work between nine and three. They did not want to work from nine till 5.30. They wanted to be home when the kids came home from school, so we allowed in our business for that to happen. I do not know whether it was lawful at the time under the award—it probably was not—but that is the way they wanted to work. We were quite prepared to be flexible in that approach and bring in other staff when needed.

Innes Willox was mentioned by the member for Werriwa. As the head of an industry body, he was asking for more flexibility in the workplace. In this place, we have flexibility in the workplace. I cannot say it is an even workplace, for members elected after 2004, but I can say we have some flexibility in what we do here. The dividing line between the Liberal and National parties and the Labor Party, which is born out of the union movement, seems to be our position on industrial relations. But at least in this great south land we can have a discussion. We can hear from the member for Werriwa—and I believe we will shortly hear from the member for Charlton a passionate address in defence of the current legislation as it stands. But that current legislation as it stands is harder on the workplace than even that put in by Hawke and Keating in previous governments. It goes further on behalf of the worker and reduces the flexibility and the opportunity for the workplace to be a driving force of economic uplifting for the participants—for the employer and for the employee.

I know in this country right now that every employee is not perfect and every employer is not perfect and we do need industrial relations laws that say, 'Here are the things you cannot do.' We do not want workers in this country treated poorly by their employers—and there will always be rogue employers. But we need flexibility in regional areas. You heard the member for Werriwa talk about how a 25 per cent reduction in penalty rates was supported by the hospitality industry. I have had delegations of employers come to me and say, 'We can't open on the weekend because we can't pay the penalty rates.' You have heard me say this before, Mr Deputy Speaker Kelly. The only businesses that are open on the weekend are those family-run organisations where it is mum and dad and the kids behind the counter, running the show. A mayor came to me and said, 'In my tourist town on the highway, which we have encouraged to grow by having tourists stop, the businesses are all closed on the Sunday and Monday of a long weekend because they can't pay the penalty rates that are needed.' He was pleading with his own businesses to stay open. These are the sorts of issues that we will grapple with.

The member for Eden-Monaro was mentioned. He is a passionate advocate for more flexibility in the workplace, as I have been in the past. I have never walked away from the position that John Howard put to the Australian people, where we opened up the opportunities for better workplace activity and greater opportunity. I have been described sometimes as a Liberal leftie, and there have been all sorts of angry other notions about my position in life—

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