Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senators Sheldon and Walsh, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) Dinner by Heston, the high-end restaurant fronted by Mr Heston Blumenthal, has been caught stealing up to $4 million from its own employees,

  (ii) these employees worked up to 25 unpaid hours each week, leaving many underpaid to the sum of $35,000 a year,

  (iii) Dinner by Heston's landlord, Crown Casino, aided in this endeavour by entering into byzantine corporate arrangements including interest-free loans, millions paid to the restaurant's owners in licensing fees, and an annual rent for the restaurant of only $1,

  (iv) this $4 million underpayment scandal joins Mr George Calombaris' $7 million dollar underpayment scandal and Mr Neil Perry's $10 million dollar underpayment scandal as yet another example of an alarming business model amongst elements of corporate Australia, and

  (v) there is a wage theft crisis in Australia that must be addressed;

(b) supports real action on the underlying causes of these issues through the Economics References Committee inquiry, Unlawful underpayment of employees' remuneration, agreed on 13 November 2019; and

(c) commends the United Workers Union for their advocacy and hard work on behalf of these affected restaurant workers.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government notes that this motion does not acknowledge the vital role played by the Fair Work Ombudsman as the primary workplace regulator. Given that the ombudsman has either taken or is continuing to take real action in relation to each of the matters mentioned in the motion, including the $7.8 million worth of underpayments of staff of the MAdE Establishment group, this was no doubt an oversight.

The government is hopeful that the Labor Party's desire for yet another inquiry into this issue does not prevent them from supporting the government in taking real action in the meantime, such as through our forthcoming legislation to criminalise wage theft.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

One Nation agrees that wage theft is happening in Australia, but my concern is about targeting one individual, who has actually sold their house and has paid back the workers. What we need to take into account are those who have also been involved in this: Woolworths, the ABC and 7-Eleven. And one employee from Bunnings contacted us and said that he has been underpaid as well.

My concern with this motion here is that it's just focusing on one person. I think that we need to address everyone who has committed wage theft against their workers.

Question agreed to.