Patrick Dodson (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition opposes schedule 6 in the following terms:

(1) Schedule 6, item 1, page 31 (lines 1 to 5), Schedule 6, TO BE OPPOSED.

Labor moves this amendment to the bill because of the matters I have spoken of: that is, that this is raising a substantial fine for any strikes deemed to be a boycott. It doesn't really allow for consideration of those situations where trade union movements support very good causes outside of what is strictly considered an industrial competition situation. So we're opposed to that schedule, and, unless there are some amendments to it, we'll be opposing the bill.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was listening very carefully then, and I think Senator Dodson might want to clarify that last sentence—that Labor would oppose the bill if there was no amendment moved to this bill by the government. The government will be opposing this amendment. It's obviously up to the Senate to determine the Senate's position, but the government will oppose the amendment. We believe all the reforms in this bill are sensible and should not be controversial.

Since the government responded to the Harper review in late 2015, we have not heard anything from the opposition against any of these reforms, and now, suddenly, without notice, the opposition has chosen to oppose schedule 6 of this bill. Schedule 6 simply proposes to align the penalties for breaches of the secondary boycott provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to the same level as other breaches of the competition law, as recommended by the Harper review and the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Instead of supporting this sensible reform, Labor is seeking to create a special carve-out for unions that commit serious breaches of the law that are completely unrelated to industrial conditions that affect their members. Again, this is Labor, under Mr Shorten's leadership, running a protection racket for unions that break the law at the expense of small businesses, workers, consumers and the wider economy. The government will not be supporting this Labor amendment and will instead propose that schedule 6 stand as printed.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that schedule 6 stand as printed.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the amendment you are seeking leave to move relate to schedule 6?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. The amendment on sheet 8289 relates to schedule 6, page 31.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: The result of the previous division is that schedule 6 has been removed from the bill. You can't move an amendment to a schedule that no longer exists.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported with an amendment; report adopted.