Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, the Workplace Relations Act contains a statement of intent from the government, some 12 months old, that modernising awards will ‘not disadvantage employees’ or ‘increase costs for employers’. You have indicated that yesterday’s Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009 contains provisions to protect employees from being disadvantaged in the context of modernising awards. If that bill will protect employees in the application of a modern award, why does the government consider it appropriate to have provisions legislating one part of its 12-month-old promise—that is, to not disadvantage employees—yet not also see fit to legislate in the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill the other part of its 12-month-old promise, which is to ‘not increase costs for employers’ through modern awards?