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 Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and I again refer to the AWA offered by Australian Sweets to its employees. Isn’t it the case that this AWA provides for work at any hour of the day on any day of the week, abolishes all overtime payments, abolishes weekend penalty rates and abolishes annual leave loadings? Minister, why do you arrogantly ignore hundreds of thousands of Australians who told you today that AWAs like this unfairly strip away their conditions and entitlements?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member for Perth did any study of industrial laws he would know that an existing employee cannot be forced onto a different sort of agreement. That is in the law, and it is protected in the law.

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

Mr Stephen Smith interjecting

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You keep waving that around, Member for Perth; let me wave around something that might be relevant. The Australian today said:

Several Labor MPs told The Australian last night Mr Smith’s actions were “appalling” and he was a “dud”—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the minister completed his answer?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.