Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Abetz, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) advice from the Department of Finance and Deregulation released under Freedom of Information laws that the review of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act) should have included productivity, for example, a look at the costs incurred through bargaining, disputes, training and delays,

(ii) that the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (Mr Shorten) revised the terms of reference drafted by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to:

(a) delete references to flexibility and balancing the needs of employees and employers in the opening paragraph,

(b) delete any reference to how the Act has reduced the compliance burden on business, and

(c) delete surveys of employers on their experiences in bargaining and agreement making under the Act and a survey of employees to measure their views and experiences under the Act, and

(iii) the view of departmental officers that the Minister's terms of reference were too narrow; and

(b) expresses concern that the terms of reference for the review were not broader.