Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I think you and I are going to have to agree to disagree. As I said, as you and I both know, this happens every single day within the commission. All we are doing here is saying, 'There are major projects in Australia which require certainty. There is a pool that people out there who but for an elongated negotiating process would actually be in a job, earning a wage and accruing entitlements and superannuation.' There are financiers out there who are saying, 'Unless we know you have an agreement, we are not going to give you the money to ensure the project goes ahead.' There is nothing we are trying to do here that is not literally within what is set out in the proposals. They are just some small changes to what we believe is a system that currently does not work.

How can you disagree, Senator Cameron, with this government implementing the good faith bargaining provisions into the greenfields negotiations? You cannot tell me, in all good conscience, that you do not agree with that. We are adding an additional layer to this process. We are also requiring that the agreement be in the public interest. That is currently not required.

Senator Cameron, you and I could sit here all night. That is fine. You clearly want to delay this until 9.50. I accept that. That is pure politics. You did that three weeks ago and we did not go to a vote, and you can do it again tonight. You are absolutely entitled to do that. But my answers are going to be my answers. If you do not like them because you would prefer your amendments get up that is fine. We can agree to this amendment and you can put your amendments and then we can debate them and talk with the crossbenchers about them. But, literally, what I am saying here is not going to change your mind in relation to what I believe is a very good amendment. This amendment is going to assure that, when an agreement cannot be reached, there is a release valve that can be utilised and the independent umpire can step in. That is it. Then prospective employees can become real employees. They can have a job, get paid and accrue entitlements. That is all this is doing.