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

I want to enter the debate this evening to speak on this important bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2019. I want to place on record my concerns as a Queenslander and as a federal member who represents some disadvantaged areas about just how important it is that we get energy policy right in this country. I want to start by talking about some of the amendments that Labor has moved to the bill to ensure that, if it is to become policy, workers affected by divestiture are covered under transfer of business provisions of the FWA. Whilst our strong concerns around privatisation from the first version of the bill have been substantially addressed, we are proposing to strengthen this aspect of the bill to ensure there is no risk of partial privatisation.

I also want to ensure that we fight to protect workers by ensuring their rights under the Fair Work Act are safeguarded in the event of divestment. As I said, we know there have been some significant improvements in the bill than from when it was originally floated, but better protections are still needed. Under the current bill, it's not clear that the sale of an asset due to a divestment order will be considered by courts to constitute a connection between the companies subject to divestment and the purchaser of the asset, leaving open the possibility that the FWA transfer of business provisions will not apply. That is why these amendments are so important and that is why we're moving them today, to ensure workers affected by divestment have all the protection they deserve under the Fair Work Act. Labor's support for the bill in the House is conditional on these improvements that protect basic worker rights and rule out partial privatisation.

I want to take a moment to highlight to the House when it comes to energy policy a good example or, as we hear, an alternative approach that perhaps the government should look at. This is in my home state of Queensland under the Queensland state Labor government led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who continues to lead the way when it comes to sensible and effective management of energy prices to ensure that residents—

See this speech in context