Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Ann is an aged-care nurse who has been in her profession since 1978. She has said:

The proposed legislation doesn't make things better for us and our residents. It makes it so much worse. And to be honest, I don't think I can handle any more cuts.

Can the minister guarantee Mr Morrison's industrial changes won't see workers paid less?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. I can absolutely guarantee that the industrial relations reforms our government proposes—alongside, indeed, all of the measures our government is proposing—are about ensuring that Australians have access to more jobs, have access to more job opportunities and are able to work in an economy that is growing faster and more strongly. In creating those jobs, we are putting pressure on wages over time to drive wages growth too. Indeed, what we want for Ann or for any employee across Australia is for them to have more opportunity overall. So our determination through this passage, having spent many hours engaging with the union movement and engaging with employer organisations, is to try to find efficiencies within the operation of the industrial relations system such that there can be far greater confidence for employers to grow their businesses, to hire more people and to create more opportunities. That is precisely what we have been driving at as a government.

As we've worked through the period of the pandemic, we've been able to say that, according to the Reserve Bank, some 700,000 jobs have been saved as a result of some of the direct policy actions of the government. We've been able to bring back more than 90 per cent of those employees who found that their hours went to zero or lost their jobs during the depths of the pandemic. We have been able to see around 800,000 jobs recreated, jobs growth over recent time and, pleasingly, very significant jobs growth among women. One of our greatest achievements prior to the pandemic was to see women's workforce participation reaching record levels, and it's fantastic to see it driving back to that point yet again. (Time expired)

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

Senator Ciccone, a supplementary question?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Karin has been a registered nurse for 12 years. She says that losing her penalty rates under the coalition's industrial relations changes will:

… have an impact on my income and that of all my colleagues. This will mean a drop in our standard of living and spending power.

Why does the coalition government want to inflict pay cuts on our nurses in the middle of a pandemic?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's just not the case that there is any intention for those sorts of outcomes from the legislation that is before this parliament and upon which a committee will report in a few weeks time. This chamber will have its opportunity at that stage to debate and to pursue. But our intention is fully that there will be more jobs and more job opportunities, and, from that, better security for Australians into the future. We want to make sure that, through this, there are the maximum incentives for new jobs to be created for Australians—on greenfield sites, for example, where there have long been concerns about the operation of the system. What's distressing is that those opposite have decided to check themselves out of the debate completely in favour of a scare campaign. They've said, 'We're voting against this bill holus-bolus, even the parts that the trade union movement have argued for.' They're not even going to vote for tougher penalties on wage theft. It's remarkable to think that that is the case. (Time expired)

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

Senator Ciccone, a final supplementary question?

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Aged-care nurse Belinda has pleaded, 'It is already so hard for us; please do not make things harder.' Why are Mr Morrison and his government ignoring the please of workers like Belinda, and instead choosing to supress wage growth and exacerbating insecure working conditions in the middle of a global pandemic?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A better question would be: Why are Senator Ciccone and the Labor Party so intent on trying to scare people with falsehoods, lies and mistruths? Why is it that those opposite have checked themselves out of any sort of rational policy debate and instead just want to try to run another scare campaign? On this side of parliament, we are about trying to get things done that create more jobs, and our government has succeeded.

Senator Watt interjecting—

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

Senator Watt!

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through our first six years, Senator Watt, we created 1½ million more jobs for Australians.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I doubt anyone in the chamber can hear me with my open microphone, there was so much noise. I'm going to ask for some restraint.

Senator Farrell interjecting—

I couldn't hear him either, Senator Farrell, there were too many interjections.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased Senator Farrell could hear me, because I was talking about the more than 1½ million additional jobs created through the first six years of our term in government, with workforce participation hitting record levels and women's workforce participation hitting record levels. We want to make sure that we get back to that point post-pandemic, and the only thing in our way is you lot. (Time expired)