Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. A dodgy employee who stole from their employer for over 25 years would almost certainly go to jail. Why then, under this Prime Minister, do dodgy businesses that steal superannuation from their workers get no penalty at all and instead get rewarded with a tax deduction? Why is it always one rule for business and another rule for everyone else under this government?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the ironies of politics today is that we have this former union leader—this former champion for the workers, who abandoned them again and again when he was leading the AWU—who now, in this place, will not put workers first. He opposes our policies which are delivering record jobs growth. Every one of those jobs that has been created is put at threat by Labor and is threatened by Labor and their anti-business, anti-investment and anti-jobs policy.

As to the question of unpaid superannuation guarantee payments, what the minister has done is introduce legislation which is designed to recover over $200 million—hopefully more—of unpaid contributions for the benefit of workers and for the benefit of employees. What the government is foregoing as part of that amnesty is some fines. The government is creating an amnesty in order to recover more money for more workers.

Mr Hill interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bruce has already be warned. He will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here, the champion of the workers doesn't want to help them out. It won't come as a surprise to anyone who was a member of the AWU under his hopeless leadership.