Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
MEDIA RELEASE
7 FEBRUARY 2024
ALBANESE GOVERNMENT TRASHES DEMOCRACY IN DODGY DEAL TO FORCE RADICAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS BILL THROUGH PARLIAMENT
The Albanese Government has again trashed the democratic process by gagging debate on their radical industrial relations legislation in a dodgy deal with the Greens and crossbencher David Pocock.
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Senator Michaelia Cash said: “It is an absolute disgrace the way this Government treats the democratically elected Parliament. They have no respect for the Parliament and the role of the Senate in scrutinising legislation.’’
“They’ve joined with the Greens and Senator Pocock to curtail debate on this Bill which fundamentally changes the industrial relations rules in this country. This is despite coming to power with the promise of a new era of transparency,’’ she said.
“The transparency promise was just another Labor lie but what can you expect when we now have a proven Liar in the Lodge in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese,’’ Senator Cash said.
“This Bill continues the Albanese Government’s ideological industrial relations policies taking Australia back to the bad old days of union domination of our workplaces,’’ she said.
“These workplace changes are part of the most radical shake-up of Australia’s industrial relations system in decades,’’ she said.
“At a time of a cost-of-living crisis, high inflation, businesses struggling with staff shortages and rapidly increasing power costs, Labor and their union pay masters are making a bad situation worse,’’ Senator Cash said.
“It is clear from Labor’s industrial relations agenda they want to handover all workplaces to the unions, including small and family businesses,’’ she said.
“None of the measures are designed to improve productivity, jobs, growth and investment which are the ingredients of a successful economy,’’ she said.
“This Bill is bad for the business community and bad for the economy. Ultimately it will be bad for the workers of this nation because it will mean fewer jobs,’’ Senator Cash said.
Over 100 amendments to the Bill were tabled last night, with more expected overnight and Thursday.
The Government has done a deal with the Greens for an amendment granting workers the so-called “right to disconnect’, although the amendment had not been tabled Wednesday night.
“We are waiting for the details of the right to disconnect amendment but what we know is that workers already have legal protections against unreasonable working hours,’’ Senator Cash said.
“In a country with five time zones during the summer months and in a globally competitive economy, it’s not clear how this will help increase productivity in the workplace,’’ she said.
“Western Australia will be hit particularly hard by the right to disconnect law because of the three-hour time difference over summer. The Prime Minister and this Government has complete contempt for Western Australia and the hard work of businesses and workers who contribute so much to the national economy,’’ Senator Cash said.
ENDS
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