Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting this motion. We have never supported any delay to this bill, and that remains the government's position. This should be called out for what it is: nothing more than a stunt designed to delay the bill further. This inquiry has already held more hearings than any other inquiry on industrial relations legislation in the history of the Fair Work Act. We don't support delaying the bill, because every day of delay is another day where workers in the gig economy and road transport industry have no minimum standards; wage theft remains not a criminal offence; labour hire can be used to undercut agreed rates of pay; and casuals can be on permanent hours for years on end without any of the security of permanent work. Voting to delay this bill is voting to keep the loopholes undercutting pay and conditions open. The government urges the Senate to reject any further delays to this bill.