Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

The last point of the parliamentary secretary is a fair question. I do not know how many other senators have general questions, though I still have a few. After that I would suggest we start moving through the amendments formally. I would then, according to the sheet, move the vice-presidential amendments and then Senator Cormann will come back into the chamber and canvass opposition amendments to superannuation. Given Senator Cormann's absence at the moment, if the parliamentary secretary could oblige by responding when Senator Cormann returns to the chamber I think that would be the most beneficial for both the parliamentary secretary and, if I might say so, especially for the opposition.

In relation to the issues I raised, I do note the parliamentary secretary's comment that the position has not changed since 10 o'clock last night. But the regrettable thing is that the position has not changed since the matter was before the Senate committee a week ago. The government makes money available to Fair Work Australia to undertake all sorts of issues and activities. We have been told in recent times now that Fair Work Australia from its budget will simply absorb the costs of a new registered organisations regime with new forensic accountants, new forensic lawyers, beefed up—all to be absorbed by Fair Work Australia without an extra allocation of money. We are similarly told that Fair Work Australia is simply going to appoint two new vice-presidents at a cost of at least $1.5 million per annum, simply to be absorbed. Fair Work Australia is now going to have a name change and the cost of that simply to be absorbed.

How much more is the government going to demand from Fair Work Australia and why was Fair Work Australia given such a big budget if it can afford all these extra changes without any curtailment of its existing activities? Clearly something must be giving within the Fair Work regime for all these extra financial burdens to be placed upon it without any extra money being made available. The Australian people are entitled to an answer, and to simply hide behind the fact that it is an independent statutory authority is not good enough because it is the government that makes the money available. This independent statutory authority operates under legislation that this government introduced, and the people of Australia are entitled to know where the money is coming from and what areas of Fair Work Australia's activities will be curtailed to fund all these new activities without supplementation to Fair Work Australia's budget.

The CHAIRMAN: Senator Collins, do you want me to seek from the Greens an answer to your question about the general questions, whether the Greens have an indication as to whether they have many questions in this segment or they are happy to move through the amendments? Senator Wright.