Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What I will say, through you, Mr Deputy Speaker, is that it's members like the member for Petrie who are too gutless to get up and speak on this motion today. That is a statement of fact. If he really believed in supporting the cutting of penalty rates of over 10,000 people in his electorate he would get up and defend it. But, no; he takes the coward's way out and doesn't defend the decision that they've made. This is impacting on thousands of people: 10,600 people in my electorate and over 10,000 people in the member for Petrie's electorate. He's so arrogant that he thinks it's okay and that he doesn't have to defend this decision. Well, every single day we are going to go out and tell members of the public exactly what this government is up to. I may add that this whole debate is now under question, because we now have allegations around the Deputy Prime Minister and his vote being tainted. So, whilst we saw a one-seat majority government deliver a slashing of 700,000 people's pay, we now question that—but that's for another day to discuss.

Workers in my electorate will lose up to $77 a week. Retail is the third biggest industry in my community, employing 6,976 local workers with a further 3,612 workers employed in the food and hospitality sector. Earlier this year I was joined by the member for Bendigo and shadow assistant minister for workplace relations at a community penalty rates forum in Goodna in my electorate of Oxley. We were joined by dozens of workers who voiced their frustration and disappointment with the LNP government in supporting the decision to cut penalty rates. Not once do those opposite get up and apologise for slashing the salaries of workers in my electorate. Not once do they put forward any arguments about why they think it is appropriate to give the largest pay cut since the Great Depression.

At the forum we heard from people like Donna, who has fought tooth and nail to put food on the table only to be given a kick in the guts by this government cutting her weekly wage. These are the stories of the real people. I can understand members of the government who are living in denial and too busy fighting amongst each other. This government is more like an episode of The Hunger Games, ripping each other apart, undermining each other and worrying about who's going to lead their party whilst they actually deliver a pay cut.

My community does not deserve this. The people of Australia, the working men and women who go to work on a Sunday, deserve the pay that they get now, not a pay cut like government members, such as the member for Petrie, are delivering them. They deserve an explanation as to why their salary is being cut. The member for Petrie is in denial, Deputy Speaker, just like other members of the government, who are so arrogant that they won't even enter this debate today. They won't rise on their feet to defend the decision. In my words that's gutless. It's gutless because they have taken the decision that is impacting on their own communities. Look, they may have reasons as to why they have done that, but I'm yet to hear a genuine reason as to why they want to cut the take-home pay of almost 700,000 workers.

What sticks in my craw the most? What is most insulting? Let's rewind what's happened. What happened the day after these pay cuts came in? They gave a millionaire a tax cut of $16,400. Workers in my electorate in places like Redbank and Redbank Plains who work in retail and hospitality got a pay cut, while millionaires living on the North Shore got a tax cut of $16,400. How on earth is that fair? How on earth can members of the government look anyone in the eye in the community and say, 'We've got your back.' They don't. They've given up on working and middle class Australians—time and time again. They've given up on women. They've given up on young people. They've given up on people working in the retail, hospitality and pharmacy industries. Well, Bill Shorten and Labor have not given up on workers. I will not give up on workers in my electorate. I will fight these pay cuts every single day until the next election. (Time expired)

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