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

This is a very sad day for keeping the cost of living low and creating more jobs. This is a very sad day for all of those who take a risk to create jobs and opportunities, because Australian businesses have been sold out today by the Albanese Labor government. They've been sold out by Senate crossbenchers who have teamed up in a dirty deal with this government to pass highly damaging changes to this country's industrial relations system.

Today the unions, the paymasters of this government, are celebrating their Christmas gift while Australians who are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis will foot the bill. The simple fact is that we've seen members of the crossbench side with the government to pass through highly damaging, prescriptive, interventionist, ill-thought-through, productivity-sapping, prosperity-damaging regulation before it has been properly scrutinised through the Senate inquiry process. We've seen something that has been an absolute trademark of the way this government operates.

When they know they're doing something grubby, something to be ashamed of and something that will not stand up to scrutiny in the full light of the examination process, they use every trick in the book of parliamentary process to avoid the scrutiny that the Australian people expect their parliament will be able to carry out on their behalf. They have been desperate to rush through this legislation, because they've always wanted to hide the true intent of this legislation. What we've seen from this government is, at every stage, every possible sneaky, tricky mechanism to avoid debate, avoid scrutiny and resort to untruths because they knew they could not, in the court of public opinion, make an objective, fact based case for this set of payback measures.

This is dancing to the tune of the union bosses and running through the to-do list that the union bosses have had for years and years, all while the percentage of Australians who are actually members of unions sinks and sinks and sinks. Now only eight per cent of private sector employees are members of a union. But, of course, this government knows who pays its bills and pays the donations. Do not be fooled; this is what this is all about. We know that this government does not have the right priorities.

This is a desperate ploy by an embattled government. They're trying to get a headline because they know they've had an absolutely dreadful month. They know that the Australian people are reeling at the shock of nearly 150 hard-core criminals being let out while the two hapless and hopeless ministers yawn and say, 'There's nothing we can do about it.' They've been desperate to bring on some kind of political fix, and so they've done a deal which has led to what we are seeing. The fact is that the costs that are incurred as a result of these legislative changes will ultimately be passed on to 26 million Australians. These are changes that are incompatible with a modern labour market that needs to be flexible, dynamic and rewarding for workers.

This will be a particularly devastating blow to this country's mining and resources sector, which is the engine room of the Australian economy. Look at the Labor Party and the Greens. Who do they think pays the taxes and the royalties? Who pays for the roads, schools and hospitals? Why is this government determined to try and damage the industries that are so central to the prosperity of this nation? That is what this legislation is about.

The process that has occurred here has been appalling. The time that has been available is, frankly, entirely unsatisfactory. The Australian people would be absolutely shocked if they knew the process this government has embarked on. I seek leave to move the consequent amendments, amendments (1) to (4), as circulated in my name, together.

Leave granted.

I move:

(1) Senate amendment (1), subparagraph (b)(vi), omit the subparagraph, substitute:

(va) Part 6 (closing the labour hire loophole);

(vi) Part 7 (workplace delegates' rights);

(2) Senate amendment (1), subparagraph (b)(xi), after the subparagraph, insert:

(xia) Part 14A (amendments relating to mediation and conciliation conference orders made under section 448A of the Fair Work Act 2009);

(3) Senate amendment (3) (proposed new table items 7, 8 and 20A in subclause 2(1) of the Bill), omit the table items.

(4) Senate amendment (9) (proposed new Divisions 3, 4 and 6 of Part 15 of the Fair Work Act 2009), omit the Divisions.

I don't pretend in any way that these amendments make this acceptable, but they're a desperate attempt to try to address some of the most appalling aspects of this legislation.

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