Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

It was uncertain—I will take that interjection, Senator Scarr—because Labor failed to do anything about this in their Fair Work Act. Labor's Fair Work Act has unfortunately created the confusion we are seeing today. Casual employees and the businesses that support them deserve certainty. They deserve certainty in their employment relationship, both employers and employees alike. But casual employees also deserve to have a pathway to permanent employment set out for them. When you listen to how the Labor Party talk about casuals and the nature of casual employment, you have to ask why it is that, today in the chamber, the Labor Party are not prepared to support a measure that will provide that pathway to permanency for casual employees who work a regular pattern of work.

The CHAIR: Minister, please resume your seat. It is now 1 pm. The time for this debate has expired. The question is that division 2 in item 1 of schedule 7 stand as printed.