Carmen Lawrence (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, irrespective of the OWS action over duress concerning two of the 65 Hilton IGA employees, does the government’s guarantee that employee entitlements will be protected for 12 months when a business is sold apply or not? If so, what will the Prime Minister do to ensure that the thousands of Australian employees who work for a business that is sold do not end up worse off—just like the Hilton IGA employees in my electorate?

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

In reply to the honourable member for Fremantle: the design and intent of that provision of the legislation is very clear. I cannot guarantee the individual conduct of either employers or employees in response to a provision of the law, any more than I am sure the member for Fremantle purported to guarantee the behaviour of people in relation to laws passed when she was Premier of Western Australia or when she was a minister in the Keating government. The truth is that you legislate for a purpose and people are expected to obey the law. If they do not obey the law, they get prosecuted. That is happening with alacrity—and I know it upsets you.