Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

There are some parts of this motion that are not unusual for an end-of-sitting period, and we acknowledge that governments have matters that are routine to the orderly business of government that need to be progressed. The opposition has sought to engage with the government in as constructive a way as possible in relation to those. However, there are other matters to this motion, in terms of scheduling additional sitting days, which include sitting days, the purpose of which is now undefined. But it is obviously clear that the purpose of those additional sitting days is part of the government's plan to ram through with undue haste their irresponsible and reckless industrial relations reforms.

Ultimately, this government went to the last election promising a very contained a suite of IR reforms but, instead, just months later, it's seeking to pursue reforms that workplaces and industry groups across the country have denounced. We won't be giving the government a blank cheque in terms of extra days next week for IR reforms that nobody voted for and that every industry group is saying will drive inflation higher and jobs lower.