House debates
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Questions without Notice
Workplace Relations
3:03 pm
Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy. I refer the minister to his government’s guarantee yesterday that no worker will be worse off under Labor’s new IR laws. I also refer the minister to the Deputy Prime Minister’s comments:
… there’s a balance in industrial relations, between the interests of employers and employees—we want that balance in the dead centre. That’s what we’ve delivered.
In the interests of keeping this balance, will the minister now guarantee that no small business will be worse off under Labor’s new IR laws?
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I thank the member for his first question to me. The Rudd Labor government is committed to supporting small business in this country. We took to the last election a range of policies that we will implement and implement in full. They include the provision of one-stop-shop advisory services to small businesses. They include revisions to the Trade Practices Act that will ensure that small businesses get a fair deal and can operate in an open, competitive environment with more powerful businesses. Our policies also extend to the area of industrial relations. In the industrial relations area we have witnessed, under the previous government, the accumulation of enormous amounts of red tape. For example, as at November last year, 150,000 agreements were awaiting approval from the Workplace Authority.
Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The question to the minister is: are Australian workers going to be worse off as a result of his government’s policies—yes or no?
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
That is why this government, the Rudd government, will ensure that small businesses can not only survive but thrive in an open, competitive economy, not choked by the red tape that was tied around their necks by members opposite when they were in government.
Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. It took the Deputy Prime Minister six attempts to make a guarantee. I asked: yes or no?
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The red-tape burden on small business has been enormous. It has been a result of 10 years of squandered opportunity from the members opposite. Back in 1996, before this member came into the parliament, the then government commissioned a report from the late Charlie Bell on reducing business red tape.
Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I ask you to draw the minister back to the question. The question was in relation to IR laws.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The minister will not overly broaden the question. The minister will get back to the question.
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am speaking directly about the red-tape burden imposed by Work Choices, the legislation that dare not speak its name. All those opposite in here are really and truly champions of Work Choices. For politically convenient reasons they have now said that Work Choices is dead. But what is the truth?
Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order in relation to relevance. The minister was asked to give a guarantee that requires a yes or no answer.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member for Dickson will resume his seat. That is the fourth point of order in a two-minute answer. The minister will direct his remarks to the question.
Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Dutton interjecting
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
As a result of Work Choices this regulatory burden was dramatically increased. The Rudd Labor government is reducing—
Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Yes or no: that is the answer—you give a guarantee or you don’t!
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member for Dickson is warned!
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
the red-tape burden through a comprehensive program of microeconomic reform, cutting red tape and ensuring through the Council of Australian Governments that we have a seamless economy, as called for by the Business Council of Australia, which is in the interests of small business. By reducing that regulatory burden, by simplifying life for small businesses, by rewarding effort, risk-taking and entrepreneurship, we will ensure that small businesses are made better off in this country so that they are not weighed down by this compliance burden that was imposed by this mob opposite.
A decade after the report to which I referred was first commissioned, a second report was commissioned. That was produced by Gary Banks, the head of the Productivity Commission. And what did the Business Council of Australia say as a result of the 10 years of neglect of this mob? It said that they had presided over the ‘creeping re-regulation of Australian business’. So, don’t come into this chamber asking, ‘What’s Labor going to do about easing the burden on small business?’ when for 10 years you did nothing. You re-regulated the Australian economy. You reversed the reforms of the Hawke and Keating governments.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The minister will direct his remarks through the chair.
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Shame on you for reversing those reforms, re-regulating the economy—
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The minister will conclude his answer.
Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Small business can thrive and survive and go well in this country.
John Forrest (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am mindful of the injunction that you gave us several weeks ago to raise points of order when the occasion provided the opportunity. I have heard you on several occasions draw attention to the need to address remarks through the chair. I think we have just seen a classic example of why the founding fathers wrote the standing orders as they are.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member for Mallee has the call.
John Forrest (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I do not make a lot of contributions in this place, but when I do I expect them to be heard
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! And I am listening carefully. Members on my right will cease their discussion.
John Forrest (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The idea of addressing remarks through the chair is a standard meeting procedure and it is designed to remove the opportunity to create rancour. If all of us in this place are determined to raise the standards of this place, we have just seen a classic example of why that should apply. There can be nothing more rancorous than the royal use of ‘you,’ particularly when associated with a pointed finger.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member for Mallee will resume his seat. I have great sympathy with the points that he is making. If he is saying that the member for Rankin was rankling, he is correct. The only thing that I could have done that I did not do was jump out of the chair and throttle him. But, in all seriousness, the comment and the point that the honourable member for Mallee makes is well made and all of us should take cognisance of it.
Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Tanner interjecting
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I just say to the minister for finance that there is a better game on Saturday night that I will be watching on television.