Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak on a number of matters, but I turn first to the government's intention to cut penalty rates in this country. Over the last couple of months we have witnessed once again the government's gymnastic talent for backflips, infighting and dysfunction. It has been chaotic. It has been the parliament's equivalent of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Flies, the one where the little boys try to govern themselves but fail. When it comes to cutting penalty rates for low-paid workers this government stands united with a shared purpose and that is to put their hand in the pockets of low-paid workers and steal their income, because they do not believe in penalty rates.

Last Thursday the Minister for Employment, Michaela Cash, made the outrageous claim that Labor and the Liberals have the same position on penalty rates—a statement that could not be further from the truth

The difference between the Liberals and Labor when it comes to penalty rates could not be more stark. The Abbott-Turnbull government wants to slash them and Labor will do everything within its power to protect the rights of Australian workers.

The Liberal government has endorsed the Productivity Commission's recommendation to take away the penalty rates for Sundays—to take a wrecking ball to people's penalty rates. We know that Mr Turnbull and his Liberals are not interested in making sure that when people go to work they get paid their penalty rates. The government does not care about the 4.5 million Australians who depend on penalty rates to put food on the table, to put petrol in their care and to pay their rent, and it does not care about the sacrifices made by these people who rely on these penalty rates—the sacrifices they make because they are away from their families on public holidays and on Sundays. This government just does not care about those people who are working when the rest of us are enjoying times with our family. Those opposite come in here and espouse the values of family when it suits them. But, when it comes to penalty rates, they have no conscience—none at all. In fact, one could say that this is in the Liberal's DNA.

It is clear that the government established the Productivity Commission for one reason and one reason only, and that was to attack workers' rights. The Productivity Commission has already recommended slashing penalty rates for Sunday for retail and hospitality workers—and we know that the Turnbull government supports this proposition. If Mr Turnbull and his Liberals get their way, Sunday penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers will be cut and then they will move on to other workers. Be assured that the government will move on to the next group of workers that they want to target.

Only last week at a hearing that we had in Melbourne growing concern was expressed that the aged-care sector may well be the government's next target for cutting penalty rates. This would have a devastating effect on this workforce. The government have no vision and no plan, and they really do not think it is their responsibility to show leadership when it comes to the crisis that is facing the aged-care sector in attracting people to work in this sector. I have said in this place many, many times that, in my home state of Tasmania, over the next five to 10 years, we are going to need 5,000 additional people to work in the aged-care sector. Instead of seeing it as an economic advantage—one that will be a key factor in pushing along the economy—to have those sorts of jobs created, not only in the caring roles but also in architecture, accounting and administration, the government see older people as a burden.

That is evident from tonight's budget. What have the government done tonight? They have cut a further $1.2 billion out of the aged-care sector. That is $1.2 billion on top of the cuts that they made over the previous two budgets. We on this side have been out talking to the sector and we know that it is an enormous challenge for the aged-care sector to attract people to work in this important sector within our community. But the government are intent on attacking ordinary Australians, the lowest paid workers in our country, and taking away their penalty rates. It is common sense that, after they are able to wipe away penalty rates in the retail and hospital industry, the next operatives would be those working in the aged-care sector.

There is a difference between the strategy that this government have about how they deal with lower paid workers in this country and what the Labor Party will do. We put in a submission to the Fair Work Commission's review of penalty rates and modern awards, arguing against any cuts to penalty rates. The Turnbull government also made a submission. What did that submission recommend? It recommended slashing Sunday penalty rates. What else would you expect from those opposite? So at the next election there will be a very stark and clear choice when it comes to who people can rely on to protect their penalty rates in this country, and that quite clearly is the Labor Party.

A countless number of people from the hospitality and retail sectors have contacted me, but I will give you an example of one of the aged-care workers who has been speaking to me and made contact with my office. We will call her Jenny. She is a single mother and has a daughter and a grandson with special needs. Jenny said that penalty rates are the difference between having a roof over their heads, food on the table and decent clothing or not. The state secretary of the Health and Community Services Union has said that a lot of their members cannot afford to stay in this sector if penalty rates go. Reducing penalty rates for aged-care workers will further deter people from entering this profession and worsen the current workforce shortage and crisis that this sector is facing. We will not be able to meet the challenges of an ageing population or meet the care expectations of our community if this Liberal government are returned and they have their way and slash penalty rates.

We already know how high the unemployment rate is in my home state of Tasmania, particularly for our youth. And what did we see in this budget? We saw nothing that is going to help the Tasmanian community. It is very apt that Senator Bushby is in the chamber tonight—because he, along with his House of Representatives three amigos, have failed the Tasmanian community yet again. When the Liberal state government of Tasmania called on the federal Liberals to help fund the university campus move from Newnham to the Inveresk site—the $150 million that they need to ensure that, between the state government and the Launceston City Council, this will happen, because it will be so beneficial in creating jobs and giving opportunities for young Tasmanians—they were silent. They have failed.

Before I finish, it would be very remiss of me tonight if I did not put a few comments on the record in relation to one of our colleagues, Senator Joe Ludwig, who is leaving us when the double-D is called. I would like to place on the record that he has been an inspiration in the way that he considers the issues and in the advice that he gives you not only on legislation but also on the working of this chamber. We are going to miss his calming influence over on this side of the chamber as well as within the caucus of the Labor Party. I am sure I speak for many others in this chamber when I say that we will sorely miss Joseph Ludwig and the contribution he has made, not only as a minister and as a senator for Queensland—his work across a range of portfolios that he held has been so beneficial—but also, just as importantly, for his understanding of the workings of this chamber. He is a colleague who, over a long period of time, I have grown to have an enormous amount of respect for.

He did remind me tonight that there have been occasions in the past when I would have been the wiser had I sought his counsel a little earlier. I will remember that Joseph! All I can say is that you may want to run, but you can never hide! So, on behalf of others in this place, I wish to place on record our appreciation and thanks, not only to Joseph for his contribution but also to his lovely wife, Leanne, and his two daughters, who have lent him to the country over such an extended period of time. I wish them all the very best for the future.