Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. I refer to the recent release of the Productivity Commission's draft report into workplace relations, which called for cuts to penalty rates for workers on Sundays. Does the minister agree with the Prime Minister's view that there is a case for looking again at this issue?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Productivity Commission review of the Fair Work laws is something that we promised the Australian people. We believed that there had to be a proper, full review of the framework of our industrial relations system. The good news is that the Productivity Commission was of the view that it needed repair, not replacement, and that is of course the policy that we adopted going into the election. We also adopted the longstanding policy in this country that all matters in relation to wage setting should be determined by the independent umpire, namely, the Fair Work Commission. Interestingly enough, that is exactly what the Productivity Commission, in its draft recommendation—and I accept that it is only a draft at this stage—said that this matter should be put before the Fair Work Commission for their consideration.

Having said that, it is only a draft recommendation and undoubtedly the unions that helped to get you, Senator, into this place, will have views to put to the Productivity Commission. Then, after we have final recommendations from the Productivity Commission, we will determine that which we believe should be taken to the Australian people for a mandate in 2016. When the Productivity Commission—and, might I add, the three commissioners that were appointed—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance to the question. I have let the minister go on with the background, but the specific question was: does the minister agree with the Prime Minister's view that there is a case for looking again at this issue?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister of the question and indicate that he has 25 seconds in which to answer.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The three commissioners who were tasked with this were, in fact, commissioners who were appointed under the previous Labor government. Mr Harris himself was appointed with a whole lot of—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order—again on direct relevance, directly after you drew the attention of the minister to the question. Again, the question was: does the minister agree with the Prime Minister's view that there is a case for looking again at this issue?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister that there is one question before him. He has 13 seconds in which to answer the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As Labor's appointees to the Productivity Commission believed that it was a matter to be looked at, the Prime Minister has quite rightly adopted their approach. (Time expired)

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I have a fairly direct question: does the minister support cuts to penalty rates and other working conditions?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In very brief terms, the answer to that question is no, but we as a government want to see high wages and productive jobs in our economy. But we also want to see more jobs in the Australian economy. So what the Productivity Commission have said, in draft recommendations—and these were commissioners appointed by the Australian Labor Party, with all sorts of compliments on their appointment—is that in a very few particular sectors there might be an appropriate case to be made not to government but to the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission, to make a determination on this matter. In relation to overtime there are no suggested changes. There are no changes in relation to a whole host of matters in the draft recommendations, but I stress again that these are only draft recommendations. (Time expired)

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I refer to the comments made by Liberal Senator Dean Smith, who says that young people and women are more likely to be those engaged in casual or part-time work where penalty rates apply. Why does the Abbott government believe that female and young workers deserve a pay cut?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I fear that the honourable senator has taken her lead from frontbencher Senator Cameron and that is that you misquote to try to make your point. I can assure the honourable senator that Senator Smith has a great affinity for the young people of Australia and also for the female cohort of our society, which I note is the majority. We men are very wise to ensure that we do not get them offside, because they have more numbers than us blokes.

Senator Smith is motivated by trying to get as many people into jobs as possible, noting of course that the only person in this country who has traded away penalty rates is the leader of the Australian Labor Party who, when he was the secretary of the Australian Workers Union, ensured that money got paid into their coffers at the expense of— (Time expired)

Senator Sterle interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Sterle, that is disorderly.