Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

It is a very important question. What this chamber and the dispatch box should not be used for is to send the wrong message to any employer or business that they might be able to do something which, at law, they clearly should not be doing. The general protection provisions in the Fair Work Act, which include all casuals, include general protections against adverse action, such as dismissal or a reduction in hours on the basis of a protected attribute or age. An employer who contravenes the general protections could face significant civil penalties of up to $13,320 for an individual and $66,000 for a body corporate. They might also be required to pay compensation. Why would Labor be using this dispatch box to suggest to employers that they could do something that they clearly cannot and should not do and for which there are very serious penalties if they ever were to do it?

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