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

Well, Senator Lambie, I guess we have to respectfully disagree with you on this. I respectfully disagree that removing or leaving out legislative provisions that make it a criminal offence for employers to deliberately steal wages from their employees is making legislation better. I don't think that removing or not including provisions that hold employers responsible for their negligence which leads to the deaths of workers at work sites is making legislation better. I don't think that's helping the government, and I don't think it's helping workers either.

I don't think there is anything complex about making it a criminal offence for employers to deliberately steal wages from their workers. If a worker steals from their employers, they are rightfully charged with theft. But the law as it stands in Australia at the moment means that an employer can deliberately steal wages from their employee with no criminal punishment at all. I don't think that's a complex matter.