Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens, as will have become evident during the debate, think that redundancy is a very important issue. We did seek to move an amendment to deal with the issue of redundancy by ensuring that it was a minimum condition of the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard. Family First has taken a slightly different tack, but again it addresses the issue of redundancy. I think none of us on this side of the chamber is surprised that the government will not support it. A range of amendments should have been made to this bill to make it a true Stronger Safety Net and to provide fairness, because there are many holes and loopholes in the so-called safety net that in fact have not been amended. Honestly, of course I am not surprised that the government will not support it.

The minister was right when he said that the Greens would not support an exemption for small business. We believe that these rules should apply, the same as we believe that unfair dismissal rules should apply, to everybody—all workers and all businesses. That is the same as we believe should apply for people’s expectancy of redundancy. So, while we think that our amendment was better, obviously we support moves to improve redundancy and require it as a protected allowable matter. It is a bit of a different approach, but we support it—but I am not surprised that the government does not.

Question negatived.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported with amendments; report adopted.