Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his first question in three days and congratulate him on getting that decision through his tactics committee. I know that Matthew Guy wants him to take a vow of silence. He's not welcome in Victoria, but I welcome the Leader of the Opposition here to ask a question about industrial relations. His deputy said yesterday—she said it a couple of times—'We think the entire bill is terrible.' That is their position on industrial relations: the entire bill is terrible.

Let's have a look at what they say is terrible in the legislation: putting gender equity and job security at the heart of the Fair Work Commission's decision-making. Putting that in the objectives of the act—they say that's terrible. Banning pay secrecy clauses, a tool which has been used to hold down women's pay in particular—that is terrible as well. Giving the commission the expertise and the powers to end the historic inequality between the pay and conditions in the female dominated care and community sectors and the pay and conditions enjoyed by the rest of the workforce—they say that's terrible as well. Expanding access to flexible workplaces, particularly for women—they say that's terrible as well. Expressly prohibiting sexual harassment in the Fair Work Act—they say that's terrible as well. Placing new limits on rolling fixed-term contracts, so workers can't be effectively put on an endless probation period where they have no security whatsoever—that's terrible as well. Bolstering the ability of workers to recover unpaid entitlements—they say that's terrible as well. Banning job ads that advertise for below the relevant minimum pay rate—do they support that? No, they say that's terrible. Strengthening anti-sham-contracting laws—do they support that? No, they say—guess what?—that's terrible as well. Reforming the better off overall test so that it's simple, flexible and fairer for both workers and business—they say that's terrible as well.

The same mob that said a $1 an hour pay increase for people on the minimum wage was reckless and dangerous are lecturing us about industrial relations. Well, we on this side of the House stand for increased productivity and stand for supporting business, but we also stand for supporting workers' wages.

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