Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I apologise in advance for my croaky voice. I rise to speak on the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, but I do so with a number of grave concerns. I'm concerned for the 35,598 businesses on the Sunshine Coast. I'm concerned for the 178,000 locals who are employed by those businesses. We have nearly 14,000 labourers on the Sunshine Coast, many of whom are independent contractors, just like support workers in the community sector, like truckies and tradies across almost every industry in our local economy. I'm concerned that this government and this legislation will strip them of their ability to work for themselves, to build their businesses and to make their own decisions.

I listened to the last speaker, the member for Chisholm. The government boasts that this legislation we're discussing today comes after a great deal of consultation. Now whenever the government comes into this place it basically prevents the opposition from being able to review legislation. We were provided with a draft copy of this legislation—over 800 pages of legislation and explanatory memoranda—yesterday and the government wants us to debate this today. Those Australians who are at home right now listening to this would be concerned, and would be thinking, 'That should cause everyday Australians a bit of concern.' They would start to think: 'Why would the government do that? What have they got to hide? Why are they trying to rush something through with very little dealings with the opposition?'

Those opposite talk about consultation. Small businesses across Australia weren't consulted. The independent contractors and subbies at worksites across the nation weren't consulted. The mum-and-dad business owners, who are already struggling to keep their doors open, weren't consulted. Young entrepreneurs, whose businesses were growing thanks to our government, weren't consulted. The private sector employers beyond the big end of town weren't consulted. The government talks about consultation and collaboration, yet it refuses to listen to those who are impacted the most. Who did they consult? They consulted with their union mates. What a surprise! They are the same unions that fund their campaigns, the same unions that determine who wins preselection. That's very interesting! The same unions pick and choose and distribute power whenever Labor takes the reins of government.

That is the reality. I want to remind those members opposite: trade unions do not represent the Australian people. The ACTU is not a representative body for Australians. The House of Representatives is the body that represents Australians. That's why it is unbelievably shameful of those members opposite—800 pages of legislation and explanatory memoranda; they provided us with a copy yesterday, and here we are debating it today. Every day, average Australians who are driving home from work should be thinking, 'What has the government got to hide?' The Labor government didn't even have the guts to put the legislation on the table for a meaningful exchange before bringing it to the House today. Not only that, but, for those big businesses that they did speak with, they signed them up to confidentiality agreements. Those businesses couldn't share with the opposition or anybody else. Come on, what is this? What's this about? You're signing the people up to confidentiality agreements about legislation you're going to bring to the House. What is this? How does that work?

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