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

I thank Senator Hume for the question. As you would expect, Labor and the unions have deliberately sought to mislead the Australian people in relation to the decision of the independent Fair Work Commission when it comes to penalty rates. Colleagues on this side of the chamber know why. This is nothing more and nothing less than a desperate attempt by the current Leader of the Opposition to hide from what is a very, very inconvenient truth. Let us put the facts on the record insofar as Mr Shorten is concerned. When he was the leader of the Australian Workers Union—and at that time he had the responsibility of representing the workers—what did Mr Shorten do? He sold the workers down the river! And how did he do that? Mr Shorten, the 'champion of the working man and working woman', did a deal whereby he saw their penalty rates either reduced or removed. Mr Shorten had the penalty rates of some of the lowest paid workers in this country removed—and he was meant to be representing their interests!

Why would a leader of a union charged with representing the interests of the workers sell them down the river? Let me tell you why. The company Cleanevent made a secret payment to the AWU to continue this arrangement for several years, to continue the arrangement of stripping the workers' penalty rates, which Mr Shorten himself did when he was head of the union charged with representing their interests. He ripped the workers off—solely and with intent.