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

As everybody in this place knows, when an employment agreement terminates, be it an enterprise bargaining agreement or a modern award, it is up for renegotiation. In those circumstances, as I think I said yesterday, you have the hypothetical position where wages could go down if the workers voted for it in enterprise agreement negotiations or the Fair Work Commission were to so determine. That is hypothetically possible. Is it practicable, is it likely to occur? Absolutely not, in my experience. Therefore, when the Office of Best Practice Regulation actually says individual employees undertaking work under the guidelines may receive lower remuneration when their current arrangements expire, they are dealing with the hypothetical that it may happen. My view is and my money is on it not happening.