Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. I refer to the now Treasurer's comments on 21 November 2021, where the Treasurer said industry-wide bargaining was 'not part of our policy'. Given the government is trying to introduce industry-wide bargaining by stealth in its extreme industrial relations legislation, will the minister apologise to the Australian people for this broken promise?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What do you know? It's 2.42 pm on a Wednesday—

A government senator: On a broadcast day!

on a broadcast day—and it's another false scare campaign about IR. Is this the third we've had so far? I've lost track of just how many we've had in question time today. I'm not sure whether Senator Brockman knows that he is misleading people with what he's saying, but I'm here to help him. There is a distinction between industry-wide bargaining and multi-employer bargaining. Industry-wide bargaining involves a whole industry; multi-employer bargaining involves multiple employers. They are different things. We are in favour of allowing employers and employees, where they choose, to pursue multi-employer bargaining. That is not the same as industry-wide bargaining. It's in the name. Again, it's just another false scare campaign from an opposition that is—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator McGrath, your constant interjections are disorderly, as are yours, Senator Cash. I would ask you to listen quietly. Minister, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm looking forward to the supplementary questions because we might get to our fourth and fifth scare campaigns in one question time alone. This one is yet another one that is completely baseless and completely misunderstands how industrial relations actually works in this country. What we've got is a coalition that is so intent on running scare campaigns to stop wages rising that they are clutching at straws, making things up and misinterpreting how their own laws actually work in order to throw mud at a government that is trying to do something about wage rises. It's actually a little bit sad to watch the coalition so completely misunderstand how industrial relations works that they would be making up these kinds of things. Anyone could just look at how those words operate—industry-wide; multi-employer. They're actually kind of different concepts. Do you know what? Industry-wide bargaining is also different to single-interest bargaining, which is another thing that we're providing for. They are completely different concepts. What you're talking about is not part of the government's agenda. It never has been part of the government's agenda. The only agenda this government has is to get wages moving again.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, your first supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A survey of businesses by the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry has found that nine in 10 businesses would be damaged by measures in the Albanese government's extreme industrial relations bill and four in five would be damaged by multi-employer bargaining. Businesses are saying it will make it harder to run a business and employ Australians. It's not a scare campaign; they're scared. Why is the government turning its back on job creators in Western Australia?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Before I call the minister, I'm going to ask senators on my left and right to be silent while the minister answers the question. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, hold the front page!—'Big employer group opposes wage rises and opposes changes to the IR system that will enable wage rises'. Has it ever been any different? We know that over the last 10 years some of those big business groups were in cahoots with the coalition.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Order! Please continue, Senator Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So it is hardly a surprise that when we finally have a government in this country that wants to get wages moving again that we see some business groups opposing it. But isn't it interesting that the opposition doesn't want to pay attention to those business groups that actually do support multi-employer bargaining? As I was saying yesterday, in the Senate inquiry we had evidence from the executive director of the Community Child Care Association, which represents over 750—

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's a community organisation; it's not a small business!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath!

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, apparently they're not prepared to listen to community childcare centres.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They don't want them to get a voice in this because they represent employers of low-paid workers.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator McGrath, I called twice for you to be quiet and you ignored it. The minister has the right to give his answer in silence. Please continue, Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So apparently if you are a business that provides childcare services you can't have your say. You also can't have a say if you are involved in manufacturing and related associations. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brockman, a second supplementary question?

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The same survey has found the government's radical industrial relations legislation will put 34,000 workplaces at risk of employing fewer staff in the years ahead if the changes proceed. Employers are universally saying these changes will make it harder to run a business and employ Australians. Why is the government pursuing policy changes that will see fewer jobs for Australians and will see even more job losses than are already expected under this government? (Time expired)

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I am shocked that an employer group that is out there telling its members that the sky is going to fall in if these changes go through then goes and surveys its members and its members are scared—what a shock that is! Senator Brockman is talking about our changes as being radical. So is it radical, Senator Brockman, that what we are trying to do is make gender equity an objective of the Fair Work Act? Is it radical, Senator Brockman, that what we—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, I would ask you to address your answers through the chair, and I would ask those on my left to be quiet.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I ask you: is it radical to have a government that wants to ban pay secrecy clauses in employment contracts? I think it's not. Is it radical that we have a government that wants to ensure employers have a duty to prevent sexual harassment? How radical is that? What a radical proposal to do something about sexual harassment! Is it radical to have a government that wants to make the sexual harassment dispute process fairer and more effective? How naughty and how radical of this government to want to do something about that! That's why we are doing this. It's to look after women and to look after businesses. (Time expired)