Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

He went on:

It's a big leap forward by both sides. Working together means it's going to improve productivity. There's no use doing it any other way. It doesn't work.

Those opposite might be determined to send people into their corners in a world of conflict. With these new laws we have brought together parties that have not previously been able to reach agreement. What happened in the past? You'd get one employer reaching an agreement, and then a dodgy operator would be able to come in and undercut the rates of pay, and there was a race to the bottom. What we have now is a race to best practice standards. What we have now is a race to improve job security. What we have now means the best employers don't get punished for being the best employers. Those opposite might be determined that people will work longer for less, but the Albanese Labor government is making sure people earn more and keep more of what they earn.

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