Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sheldon for this question. As I've said before, Senator Sheldon is one of a number of Senators on this side of the chamber who have a long record of standing up for the Qantas workforce, a much longer record than the two weeks in which we've seen some spin type attempts from the opposition, and some of them are speaking up now. It's always good to hear from you, the National Party, when things haven't gone your way. Today, the highest court in the land has sent a clear message to Qantas that how they've treated their workers has not been up to scratch, and, in fact, it is illegal. It sends a very clear message not just to Qantas but to large companies across Australia that they need to treat their workforce with respect and not look for loopholes in the law to get around the system to undercut wages and avoid their obligations. Of course, that's exactly what this government is trying to do with the legislation we're putting to the parliament at the moment—close the loopholes. It's even in the name of the legislation.

Cases like Qantas are why we want to get on with closing those loopholes. Qantas needs to remember that it has to have a responsibility not just to its shareholders but to its workers and customers. This government, those on this side of the chamber, stood up in the public interest to support the workers who had been illegally sacked. But what did we see from the previous government? They spent taxpayer money to keep people in work during the pandemic without making it a requirement to keep people in work. Most companies honoured that principle, but Qantas took the money and sacked their workforce anyway.

Workers this morning can feel a sense of justification and redemption with the decision. I say to the Qantas workers: you did nothing wrong; Qantas broke the law and the previous government refused to stand with you. The company stood down their workforce and forced them to run down their leave balances so they could reduce the pay-out they would receive when they illegally sacked them. They have been held to account today, that is a very good thing, and all parts of this chamber should listen.