Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not agree to the amendment proposed by the Australian Greens to give the FWA a separate power to arbitrate disputes about the application of the NES modern award terms or terms of the agreement. The position was raised in the amendment on sheet QU427 and it was really in recognition of the concerns raised by the Senate committee. The government moved amendments to make clear that the terms of the National Employment Standards can be replicated in an enterprise agreement. Where those terms are replicated they will operate as terms of the agreement, and disputes about those terms can be dealt with by the FWA under the dispute settlement terms of the agreement. I can add further to that, but I think that succinctly puts our position.