Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his answer to the series of questions I have already put to him. I would like to ask whether in fact the government contemplated whether there would be, as a result of this cut to expenditure in this sector—a very modest level of expenditure when you think about it, $1 million from sector that employs tens of thousands of Australians: wont this cut lead to a reduction? I guess I am asking the government whether there has been any contemplation that this removal of a measure—by the way, a measure that has been embraced not just by unions but, as I said, by companies that I referred to earlier—a reduction in ethical production of clothing. This is a sector of our economy that is trade exposed. Indeed, there are bottom feeders in the sector that break the law and those reputable companies, along with unions that might represent workers, want to ensure that that conduct does not continue. ECA plays a role in that regard. I put to the minister that there are concerns, therefore, that ethical production will reduce and as a result business will be lost in this country. I wonder whether in fact the government has in any way assessed or modelled the consequences of reducing what is in the end quite a modest amount of Commonwealth expenditure?

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