Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I can hear those opposite arguing, but when we look first of all at the union agenda—this was a welcome present for the unions—the unions were salivating over it. These measures are designed to grow not just union membership but union power and control of our economy, the same way that the union movement already controls this government.

Why bring in legislation that attacks gig workers, casual employees, and tradies—those who want to be their own boss? Why bring in legislation that attacks independent contractors? Because these are people who do not normally want to join unions, this is an attempt to bring them into the great union family. Instead, these IR changes should be focused on enterprise bargaining. They should be focused on a modern workplace system, not on punishing those who want to remain as casuals.

If we look first of all at what this Labor government are attempting to do to casuals, they have said, 'Oh, this is a casualisation of the workplace; this is very unfair to casuals.' No, there are many casuals who choose to work as casuals and should be able to have that right. They don't need to be told by the Labor Party or by unions that they can no longer be casuals. The definition of casual now extends to three pages—to work out what a casual employee is! The legislation now also gives unprecedented rights for people to go straight to Fair Work, straight to courts and to have an external party again interfering in the relationship between employers and employees, which, in 2024, should be a much more flexible system.

Then if we look at the right to disconnect: on the face of it, yes, of course employees need a reasonable time away from the workforce. However, modern technology has provided flexibility to the workplace. That flexibility needs to be two ways, so, again, we do not need the Labor government telling employees and telling employers when and where they can and cannot work.

Closing loopholes is bad law. It is about unnecessary interference in what was a flexible workplace relationship system. (Time expired)

See this speech in context