Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Under Labor's radical industrial relations agenda, which the minister has confirmed not a single small business in this country supports, a coffee shop with fewer than 15 employees is exempt from compulsory bargaining. If that small business operates over three sites with seven employees at each, can that small business be compelled into multiemployer bargaining?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister over there for her question. As I've said in this place, we are continuing to consult and talk to small businesses as we negotiate getting this industrial relations bill through the parliament. When it comes to the size of small businesses, she would've seen the recommendations, of course, from the Senate committee yesterday. We're having a look at those, and we are actually talking to people about what they might mean. Indeed, as she will also know, if she has read the bill, there are several thresholds that need to be met for the single-interest bargaining stream. One of them is the number of employees. Of course, the others are that the Fair Work Commission needs to be satisfied that employers have a clearly identified common interest and that the bargain is not contrary to the public interest. That threshold needs to be met. We want to see businesses competing on quality, on innovation, on product and service—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd ask the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to state very clearly what the point of order is.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relevance, because of the tightness of the question. If there were three sites with seven employees—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being directly relevant. There were about four parts to the question. It was a complicated and detailed question. The minister is answering the question.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the shadow minister were to listen carefully, there are actually thresholds that need to be met. It's not just the number of employees; it needs to be also that they want to bargain. Either side of the bargaining table can opt in—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has asked her question.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the employer by consent or the majority of employees, so they need to meet several thresholds to actually be in this interest stream of bargaining.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Page will cease interjecting.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She needs to understand it is not as straightforward as she wants to say over there. She also needs to understand, as I've said clearly in this place, over two million small businesses will be unaffected by this single-interest bargaining scheme—

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

over two million, 90 per cent of all businesses. The shadow minister over there has been out trying to whip up conflict and confusion about this, and she needs to be careful.

Opposition member s interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting. There is far too much noise. I cannot hear. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was heard in silence. When the House comes to order, the minister will continue.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister said this morning that the whole bill is terrible. Does she really think, as the shadow minister for women, that acting on sexual harassment in the workplace is terrible? Is that what she really thinks? Does she really think closing the gender pay gap is terrible? Is that what she really thinks? Does she really think that making adjustments to be better off overall test that businesses have asked for is terrible? Is that what she really thinks? Small businesses actually deserve better than what the shadow minister is giving them.