Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Two minutes and 31 seconds is all I've got to contribute to this debate—two minutes and 20 seconds now. There will be no committee stage. Sorry, Senator Colbeck. I know that means you're not going to get a chance. I know that you have a very important contribution to make on this bill, as have many others, but we are going to run out of time because, yet again, this government is gagging debate. They've never met a bill they didn't want to guillotine.

This bill will have a real impact on businesses and employees right across Australia. It will have a negative and disruptive impact. Let's just set the record straight. Those on the other side say—we heard it today from Senator Sheldon—that this somehow has to do with the casualisation of the workforce or the boom in contract workers and the boom in labour hire. The general structure of the Australian employment economy over the last generation has not changed. The percentages for casual, labour hire, full-time and part-time have not changed materially in a generation. Some people choose casual work. It suits their life. It suits their lifestyle and their priorities. Gee, wouldn't it be shocking if this parliament actually paid attention to the priorities of Australian workers and not to the priority of unions! Wouldn't it be shocking if this parliament paid attention to the choices that the employees of Australia demonstrate, in an economy with almost full employment, rather than listening to the priorities of the Australian union movement! But, surprise, surprise!—we have a Labor government in power—we are about to hit the guillotine; the guillotine is about to fall on every small business across Australia. Those opposite should be ashamed.