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

I thank the member for Hasluck. There have been few questions I've welcomed as much as I welcome being asked, 'Is there anything that's been said on this bill that's just plain wrong?', because even as I've sat here in question time a new one happened. I wasn't prepared that I was going to get up and talk about the shadow Treasurer, but the shadow Treasurer in his question referred to small business and a figure of $75,000. So I went straight to the advisers box and got them to check with the department, 'Is there anywhere in that document where that figure is referred to for small business?', and it's nowhere—no reference to small business, this $75,000 figure he makes. I've now got them googling, because he may have uploaded something to the internet somewhere, where there's a different document involving that figure. But even in question time the misrepresentation has continued, because the day began with misrepresentation. Right on cue the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has gone to the advisers box too, because the Deputy Leader of the Opposition gave a great comment this morning. As part of their anger and frustration about the concept of workers getting wages moving she said:

These businesses will be forced to the table under multi-employer bargaining. These are businesses that for example, may pay above the award, may be on enterprise agreements—

If you're on an enterprise agreement, you are ineligible for multi-employer bargaining.

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