Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the Australian workplace agreement currently offered by Medibank Private to its customer service and sales staff. Prime Minister, isn’t it the case that the Medibank Private AWA scraps evening penalty rates, removes overtime rates, removes roster protections, does not provide for a pay increase during the three-year life of the agreement and provides for a performance bonus entirely at management’s discretion? Prime Minister, is it the government’s plan to offer AWAs like this to make Medibank Private’s bottom line more attractive for sale?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know what is in the Medibank Private agreement, but I will find out. If the track record of the member for Perth on these matters to date is any guide, what he has implied will not actually tally with the real facts.