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

I recall the words of the former tourism minister who also was a former President of the ACTU, one Martin Ferguson, who in his ministerial capacity whilst addressing a tourism conference in our capital city of Hobart said to the assembled throng that he understood that the key issue facing the sector was penalty rates. So there is no doubt that on both sides of the political divide there is concern about the impact of penalty rates.

Having said that, we have made it extremely clear that the Fair Work Commission is the right and appropriate body to determine wages and penalty rates. That has been our consistent position for a long time. It will remain our consistent position for a long time.

The fact that Mr Briggs should echo Mr Ferguson's comment should come as no surprise. If Senator McEwen wants to attack her fellow South Australian colleague, Minister Briggs, she was strangely silent when her former ministerial friend Mr Ferguson made exactly the same observation. You seem to be crying crocodile tears here, Senator, because you know that Mr Briggs has simply echoed that which a former Labor minister had indicated to the tourism sector. Let us be absolutely clear as a government that the Fair Work Commission will continue to set minimum wages and penalty rates.