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

So what we have is a situation where we do not actually know the cost of these two new appointments; the cost is going to be subject to whatever the Remuneration Tribunal might determine. But, irrespective of what the cost is, the government is saying it will be absorbed by Fair Work Australia. We do not know what the cost of the name change is going to be, but it is going to be sorted out by Fair Work Australia simply absorbing the costs.

We cannot be told where the money is going to come from within Fair Work Australia because Fair Work Australia is still working through it. What that tells us clearly is that this has been rushed. Fair Work Australia itself still has no idea where the money is going to come from within its internal budgets. This is indicative, yet again, of the shambolic and rushed nature of this legislation, because Fair Work Australia itself has not been given the time to work out where the money is going to come from. The parliamentary secretary has been kind to tell the Senate that, when the process is known and the outcome of the process is known, she is willing to tell the Senate. But what we know is that we will not know the answer before the vote. So here we have the parliamentary secretary, and I am sure the Greens will oblige her, asking the parliament to vote for legislation when we do not know where the money is coming from and how the arrangements are going to be made internally.

It is this sort of shambolic management—just a snapshot—of Fair Work Australia which provides us with a window into the total management of the Australian economy by this government. They have no idea where the money is coming from and they make changes with no idea how much it is going to cost. We are still waiting on Fair Work Australia, we are still waiting on the Remuneration Tribunal—and so the uncertainty goes on. But we need to vote on this today, irrespective of what the actual outcome or consequences might be!

I am a relatively hopeful individual, and a person who has a positive outlook, but I must say I doubt that the Senate is going to get any further answers in relation to these matters, so allow me to move on and test the parliamentary secretary. Every piece of workplace relations legislation that this government has introduced thus far has been rushed through the House of Representatives only to find itself in an embarrassing position in this place requiring further amendments. Can the parliamentary secretary guarantee us that the government is absolutely and utterly confident that this legislation does not need any further government amendments?