Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I want to say that splitting these bills will have a massive detrimental effect on many, many people. I'll go to that in a moment. On the committee process that's taken place—and when we go to tomorrow's committee meeting, which I'll talk about in my five minutes—we have had a cooperative, constructive, hard-argued, hard-cross-examined series of witnesses that have come before the inquiry in the Senate. Both Senator Lambie and Senator Pocock have played a very constructive and informative role and have raised a series of thoughtful issues with regard to the debate. I also want to include that even the opposition has raised issues that are worth consideration from everybody across the parliament.

During that debate and those discussions, it became very clear that there is a need for a proper process to take place and that it's not only about the process but also about the capacity to consider all the opinions that are delivered during those particular hearings. This is an extremely dangerous and unusual process—part of the way through a Senate inquiry that is taking place into a bill that comprehensively deals with the complexities of people trying to gain the system. I say 'the complexities' because the issues being raised are with regard to same job, same pay and the right to a voice in a workplace, and the things that deal with fundamental questions about safety in the workplace, where people have an opportunity to turn around and speak out.

There were issues raised regarding the matters that are suggested in the private member's bill, which we'll appropriately debate regardless of the circumstances. I'll have some words to say when the debate takes place. The time for that debate is set aside so that we can deal with other matters. I'll go to the heart of the processes of some of the matters that have been suggested within the bill. Scott Weber from the Police Federation of Australia said:

The bill needs to get up in its entirety … this is a holistic approach in regard to keeping all Australians safe and also reducing the workload of police officers … It's critically important this legislation go through in its entirety and quite soon …

Paramedics who gave evidence to the inquiry also put very similar positions about their concerns.

Simone Haigh, a working paramedic and the president of the Ambulance Employees Sub-branch of the Health and Community Services Union in Tasmania, said:

I think the option is to push it all through quickly, basically. It's there for everybody. It's hard but I think we really need to support everybody in this. I know there are people out there who are struggling, but they do know that if we don't look after everybody we will be worse off as emergency service workers because we are the ones who pick up the slack … Everybody has the right to come home from work every day and not be killed on their job just because they're racing to get food to someone's house.

She went on to make a number of other observations.

Quite clearly, the point is that, for these matters to be properly dealt with, they all need to be dealt with within the Fair Work legislation. They need to be dealt with at least after the Senate inquiry and proper consideration by the Senate of that inquiry so that all the parties can appropriately give due consideration to all the issues that are raised. It isn't just a matter of process for the sake of process. These are significant pieces of legislation that deal with a complex set of circumstances that are occurring right across workplaces across the country, and there is a need to bring a comprehensive response to safety issues and labour issues, to getting wages moving and to dealing with the opposition from those within the big business community that have a different view. They've expressed their view, but I tell you what: I'm quite interested to hear exactly what that legislation entails and be able to consider all those matters when we go through some more hearings tomorrow. This is before we've gone back to the department to ask critical questions about every element of the legislation.

This is a ludicrous situation. We're actually debating a bill and, shortly, we'll be extending the consideration of a bill that's going to be given proper consideration as result of a full day's hearing tomorrow. I understand that at one point it was complained that we didn't have enough time. Now we've got no time. (Time expired)