Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister did not deny at any point in his answer that the government’s Work Choices laws make it easier for large employers to sack people. Can the minister explain why making it easier to sack people is good for Australian workers? Minister, aren’t these laws the reason why the study reports say there is a perception in the business community that they now have much greater freedom to dismiss workers? Could the minister explain why the Howard government believes hardworking Australians should be denied basic entitlements such as severance pay?