Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I'll take a moment just to respond to the assistant minister's rhetorical flourish. An eminent former professor of economics as he is would know very well about the principles set out in the excellent book Nudge about behavioural economics. The simple reality is that these kinds of default arrangement are typically not paid much attention to by employees and so there is the very real risk that they could find the contributions they are making through the union fee that is being charged to them in every pay period increasing without them paying any attention to it. That's highly undesirable.

I well recollect my own experience of being forced to join the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association or union when I was a part-time shop assistant at university. I was never given a choice about whether I wanted to join. The assistant minister airily assures us: 'Don't worry. These provisions are permissive, not mandatory.' We know what happens. There are cosy arrangements struck by union officials because it suits them, and businesses find themselves in a position where it is in their interests to agree if they do not want there to be trouble, if they don't want there to be unnecessary difficulties and if they don't want to have a visit from the CFMMEU carrying some baseball bats to engage in a bit of industrial-style persuasion. That's the kind of thing that goes on. This is just another example of this government finding every opportunity to slip into legislation provisions to advance the interests of the union movement notwithstanding the fact that only eight per cent of Australians in the private sector workforce are members of a union.

Let's be in no doubt. The opposition absolutely accepts that unions have a legitimate and appropriate role in our economy and society. So let's not have this misleading strawman attack, a rhetorical technique which is, frankly, below the assistant minister. Let's deal with precision the issue which is before the House this afternoon. I have to say with some disappointment that what the assistant minister has said is no satisfactory answer to the very real concern that we have raised, and that is why we think this amendment is absolutely necessary.

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