Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am cognisant of the time, so I will not pursue this, but I must indicate that I think your responses do not shine any light on these issues at all. Let me try again. On page 93 of Hansard last night you said:

… an employer can only take a greenfields agreement to the Fair Work Commission to be approved under the new process where it has first given each of the unions that are the bargaining representatives a reasonable opportunity to sign-off on the agreement. This … ensures that the unions have sufficient time to consider the agreement … to the Fair Work Commission.

And on page 96 you said:

… the union must have been given the reasonable opportunity to consider agreeing to the document that is filed with the Fair Work Commission.

I would like to confirm that there is nothing in the bill that says the agreement which has been under discussion for six months is required to be the same document that is filed with the Fair Work Commission, as long as the union has been provided a reasonable opportunity to consider agreeing to the document. I would also like to clarify what happens if the unions disagree with any element that is filed with the Fair Work Commission. What is open to the unions?