Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why did the government overturn Work Choices? What risks are there of a return to Work Choices and why is it important to protect the rights of Australians at work?

Mr Briggs interjecting—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for Mayo and Wakefield will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

The members for Mayo and Wakefield then left the chamber.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the parliament meets today there are workers who are rallying in New South Wales against a workplace relations assault by the Liberal Party. They are teachers, they are nurses, they are firefighters—they are workers who keep the public services alive in New South Wales. And from the reaction to this question it is clear that the Liberal and National parties in this parliament hold such working people in complete contempt—teachers, nurses, firefighters. They hold them and their workplace relations rights in complete contempt. Of course, that contemptuous attitude towards the rights of working people is something that is very familiar to the Australian community, because it was shown to the Australian people by the Liberal Party in office when it brought Work Choices to this country. I, as the relevant minister, and the Labor government were determined to get rid of Work Choices because it was a cost-of-living dagger to the heart of working Australian families: hardworking people whose job security was attacked, hardworking people whose basic pay and conditions were attacked and hardworking people who had their job security lessened by the removal of unfair dismissal rights.

We have heard a bit today from the Liberal Party about the question of job security for working people. Their track record in government was they could not care less; they wanted working people to be sacked more easily. Let us remind ourselves what Work Choices did to Australian working people through Australian workplace agreements.

Mr Hartsuyker interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will resume her place. As reluctant as I am to do this, I invite the member for Cowper to come to the dispatch box and inform me whether he recognised that he was warned earlier in question time.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did hear you, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you persisted in interjecting, and I name you.

Opposition members interjecting—

There can be all the sorts of interjections in the world, but I think that if members reflect upon the last three-quarters of an hour they will understand that, whilst reluctant, I am forced into this position. The Leader of the House.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member for Cowper be excused from the service of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, can I beg your indulgence to invite the member for Cowper to apologise to you as the Speaker since he is, unlike me, not a serial offender in this regard, and to allow him to remain in the chamber or to leave for one hour.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I accept the point that is being made to me but I think that, if the chamber is to modify its behaviour and the culture of the place, it has to recognise that we have to slow down some of the behaviour that is being exhibited this afternoon. I do not mind the chamber being robust; but if I were to look at the markings the Clerk takes of people I have mentioned who have interjected and have continued to interject, I would find myself in the invidious position of having to go to the extent of those aspects of the standing orders that are available to me. Whilst I am reluctant in testing the House—not because I am worried about the numbers of the House—there has to be a point in time when we decide whether we are going to slow down our behaviour. The question is that the member be suspended from the service of the House.

Question put.

The House divided. [14:57]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question agreed to.

Order! The member for Cowper is suspended from the service of the House for 24 hours.

The member for Cowper then left the chamber.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was responding to a question by the member for Chisholm. The member for Chisholm asked me about industrial relations arrangements and about Work Choices and I was reminding the House that under Work Choices over two-thirds of Australian workplace agreements removed penalty rates, 31 per cent took away rest breaks, nearly half took away overtime loadings and 63 per cent removed incentive based payments and bonuses. That is, they took away the kinds of payments that working people rely on to do things like pay the mortgage and pay the bills.

Today in New South Wales we are seeing the return of Work Choices. It is back to take it or leave it. It is back to no negotiation, no bargaining, no independent umpire. In fact, it is back as if 100 years of Labor reform of workplace relations had not happened. These changes are targeted at Australians who are very hard working and who deserve to be treated with respect—like teachers, like nurses, like firefighters. As this action happens today and as we see this conduct by the New South Wales Liberal government, it reminds Australians that, whatever the Liberal party says to you before an election, after the election it is back to workplace relations reform and back to Work Choices. This is a living example for Australians—

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat.

Honourable members interjecting—

The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The clear example we have today is of the deep love and affection of the Liberal Party of Australia for Work Choices.

Opposition members interjecting—

It is unacceptable to working Australians, it is unacceptable to the people of New South Wales and it is unacceptable to this Labor government. It is a pity that the Leader of the Opposition has always across his political life been such a strong supporter of workplace relations reform and taking away basic pay and entitlements from working Australians. Unless he dissociates himself from Barry O'Farrell it will be on display again. (Time expired)