Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wentworth; we've had private conversations on this issue as well and I respect the passion with which this issue is held.

The government won't be supporting this amendment. I think it's worth being mindful that when people talk about a veto on one side of the bargaining table that that same veto is there for the employer. So we have a situation where either the employer or the employee organisation can say, 'This is not yet ready to go to a vote.' I know it's been in the media as though there's only a veto on one side. The veto is also on the employer side. The concept here is you reach agreement before it goes to the vote. We believe that's an important safeguard to avoid a situation where substandard agreements are put out under these provisions.

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