Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I note that the mover of the motion was not able to be in the chamber for this very, very important motion indeed. There are a couple of points that I think we need to clarify here because quite often, in these instances, those on the other side overegg the omelette, and they just reach a little bit too far.

I had the pleasure, a couple of weekends ago, of having graffiti left outside my office by members who obviously had a certain view about how important penalty rates are, and indeed I acknowledge that penalty rates are important. They left a little message on the footpath outside my office reminding me exactly of the fact that penalty rates are indeed important. Apparently, some of the people who they had coerced into this came across from your state, Deputy Speaker Sukkar. They were paid employees who came across to join those local people who thought this was an important issue.

There are a couple of things that we need to look at here. I think the facts need to be put on the table. As strange as it might seem to those opposite, government does not set penalty rates. Penalty rates are set by an organisation called the Fair Work Commission. They are not set by government.

If we look back through the history of the Fair Work Commission, it makes for interesting reading. The member for Lalor mentioned in her contribution the importance of penalty rates to the hospitality, retail and entertainment sector. She referred to the Productivity Commission's recommendations that, instead of a separate rate for Sunday and a separate rate for Saturday, there be a weekend rate. It is what the Productivity Commission has put forward. That is then a question for the Fair Work Commission to decide whether that is appropriate or whether that is going to allow more young people, particularly—and my concern is for—young people in regional areas of Australia to have an opportunity, for many, to have their first job. That is something that is important for the Fair Work Commission to consider.

Again, however, those on the other side often reach a little bit too far. They seem to be misrepresenting the recommendations that have been made by the Productivity Commission to the Fair Work Commission—not government—about the impact this will have on nurses and other things. And it is disingenuous. It is very interesting to look at some of the comments that have been made in recent times by those on the other side. And I will quote the shadow minister for employment, Mr Brendan O'Connor, who sits jointly on the Standing Committee on Education and Employment of which I am on. He makes many good contributions. He makes the point:

There are particular provisions in each award or agreement that I think should be reviewed and I'm not suggesting for a moment that there aren't provisions including penalty rates that shouldn't be looked at.

That was on 23 January 2015 in an interview he did with the ABC. Also, I will quote the shadow Assistant Treasurer. I know that we often get many opportunities to quote the shadow Assistant Treasurer. Being a doctor of economics, he often make some very good points. He also made a good point on 23 January 2015. When asked if there was any room for restructuring penalty rates, the shadow Assistant Treasurer's response was: 'I'm always up for an evidence-based discussion.' And so it should be.

We understand that during the Leader of the Opposition's time as head of the Australian Workers' Union, he sold away the penalty rates of those poorest employers—the cleaners, in this case, at a business called Cleanevent—and pocketed $2 million in lieu of wages for the union that he was representing. Mr Deputy Speaker, judge them by what they do not by what they say in relation to penalty rates.

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