Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Watt. Last year's Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms were passed to get wages moving again for Australian workers and to reinvigorate Australia's enterprise bargaining system. Despite wages increasing, worker wages and conditions are still being undermined by some employers who rely on loopholes within the Fair Work Act. What are the loopholes that some employers are using to undercut worker pay and conditions? And how is the Albanese government acting to close those loopholes?

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

Thank you, Senator Sheldon. I want to recognise your long career, along with many members on this side of the chamber, in fighting for workers' rights and fighting to close loopholes that see people being ripped off at work. It's good that we now have a government in Australia that is taking these issues seriously.

Senator Sheldon, I have good news for Australia: I am pleased to say that wages are moving again in Australia and that employers are back at the bargaining table, thanks to the Albanese government's Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order! Minister, please continue.

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

They really don't like the idea of workers getting a fair go, do they? If there's anything they hate more, I'm yet to find it! As I said, their happy place is cutting workers' wages and stopping legislation to fix it. That's where we're back to.

Senator Sheldon, as I said, the Albanese government promised to fight for workers' wages and we are delivering. Here is what we've already delivered in just 15 months: an 8.6 per cent increase for the national minimum wage this year—the largest increase on record; a 15 per cent increase for aged-care workers—aged-care workers who the former government refused to do anything about; the gender pay gap is at an historic low of 13 per cent; and wages growth has improved, increasing by 3.6 per cent over the year to June 2023 and 3.7 per cent over the year to March 2023. And the opposition have moaned and bleated every step of the way, just as they continue to do today.

But the reality is that loopholes do remain within the Fair Work Act which undermine worker pay and conditions. If a worker steals from an employer, it's a crime—as it should be. But if an employer deliberately steals from their worker, in most places in Australia that is not a crime. If a worker steals from an employer, it is a crime, as it should be. But, if an employer deliberately steals from their worker, in most places in Australia it is not a crime. So the Albanese government is acting to close this loophole by criminalising wage theft. We're also ensuring labour hire workers are paid at least what they would be paid if they were employed directly. We're empowering the Fair Work Commission to set minimum standards for employee-like workers in the gig economy. We're about closing loopholes, and the opposition should support us. (Time expired)

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

Senator Sheldon, first supplementary?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Minister Watt. I travel a lot for work, as many of us do, but I've also gotten to know the staff. I'll never forget having two long-serving Qantas staff members—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order!

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You may want to listen to this: two Qantas staff members breaking down in tears because they'd been told they could reapply for their same job at a lower rate of pay with labour hire or lose their job. What impact do these existing loopholes have—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Sheldon, resume your seat. Order on my left!

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What impact do these existing loopholes have on workers' wages and job security? (Time expired)

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

Thank you, Senator Sheldon. We know that, over the last couple of weeks, we've had a whole lot of Johnny-come-latelies who've all of a sudden decided to take an interest in Qantas. But there are some people, like Senator Sheldon, Senator White, Senator Sterle and others, who have long careers in standing up for the workers of Qantas to make sure that they're treated fairly. They're not Johnny-come-latelies; they're people who've actually got records of standing up on these issues. These loopholes that Senator Sheldon is complaining about impact Australians every day, and they create a race to the bottom on wages. They undermine negotiated pay and conditions, and they undermine the integrity of the enterprise bargaining system.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order! Once again, Senator Henderson!

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

So rude—so consistently rude. These loopholes, which allow wage theft—

Government senators interjecting—

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

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order on my right! Senator Henderson?

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, President: just to clarify, that was not me in that last interjection. But I want to say—

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

Senator Henderson, I am happy to—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to correct the record, please.

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

Order! Senator Henderson, I'm quite happy to review the tape, but I'm firmly of the view that you were being disorderly—along with a number of other senators, but your voice was the loudest, and I heard you distinctly say to the minister, 'You talked about workers at Qantas.' I am more than happy to review the tape, but you were being disorderly.

Senator Henderson, you are not in a debate with me. I've spent most of question time calling you to order, and once again I'm calling you to order.

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

The loopholes Senator Sheldon is talking about, allowing wage theft, insecure work and low wages, which those opposite let fester for a decade, undermine the job security of workers, and they undermine employers who do the right thing. The Albanese government will not allow Australia to become a country where you have to rely on tips to survive, and the opposition should back us.

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

Senator Sheldon, second supplementary?

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the insight. It's good to see someone sticking up for Qantas workers on this side—not on that side. Last year, those opposite just saw the title of 'secure jobs, better'—

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

Order! Senator Sheldon, in the interests of a respectful chamber, I ask you simply to ask the question.

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last year, those opposite saw the title of 'secure jobs, better pay' and knew they were against it. Again, this year, they've seen the title of 'closing loopholes' and—guess what?—they're against that, too. What was the former coalition government's legacy on closing loopholes that have continued to undermine worker pay and conditions?

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

That's a very good question, Senator Sheldon. Last year, we heard claims from Senator Cash that the secure jobs, better pay bill would 'potentially close down Australia'. It looks pretty open to me! It has not closed down. On 4 September, before the secure jobs, better pay bill had even been written, Senator Cash claimed that our government's reforms would 'have the potential to take us back to the dark ages, to close down parts of the economy'. They'll be having leeches out doing medical treatments next, like they did in the Dark Ages. We'll be having Knights of the Round Table in Senator Cash's world.

Whenever Labor does something to get wages moving again, you can rely on the catastrophising and hyperbole from Senator Cash and the rest of the opposition. The former government had almost a decade to take action to close these loopholes. Instead, we had Mr Fletcher calling the labour-hire loophole essentially a made-up issue. Low-wage work was a deliberate design— (Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Much as I'd like to move an extension, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.