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Labor targets Malcolm Turnbull over cut to penalty rates – question time live Labor targets Malcolm Turnbull over cut to penalty rates – politics live
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Party no birthday bash without balloons, says Coalition
Paul Karp
In Senate estimates, senator Jenny Mcallister has been asking about what she called a “birthday party” for Julie Bishop, Josh Frydenberg and David Bushby on 17 July.
James Paterson and attorney general George Brandis dispute that it was a birthday party.
There were no balloons and you can’t have a party without balloons, Paterson says.
Brandis said it was an event for about 100 Coalition parliamentarians and the trio’s birthdays were “acknowledged”.
A witness from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet said that birthday cakes were made in-house and sweets are usually served at such events so it was not out of the ordinary.
Mcallister moves on to a separate event at Kirribilli House, of which Brandis quips that the $2,000 odd price tag for booze amounted to $12 a head, making it “a rather Presbyterian event” rather than a knees-up.
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CAARP!
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Question time ended with an unusual condolence for the five people killed in the plane crash in Melbourne last week.
The PM spoke, recognising the experience of the pilot Max Quartermain and the victims and thanked the rescue/safety crew in very sombre tones. Then Bill Shorten spoke, underlining the serious effect of air crashes on communities and said he thought of Malcolm Turnbull. I assume that is a reference to Turnbull’s dad, who died in a plane crash, but I am not entirely sure.
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Next government question to PDuddy, otherwise known as Peter Dutton immigration minister. It is about 457 visas and leads to....Bill Shorten. Next government question to PDuddy, otherwise known as Peter Dutton immigration minister. It is about 457 visas and leads to ... Bill Shorten.
He calls Shorten a fraud and immediately is ordered to withdraw by speaker Smith.He calls Shorten a fraud and immediately is ordered to withdraw by speaker Smith.
He presided over an arrangement in relation to Cleanevent where those workers were entitled to $50.17 per hour under the award, the deal he brokered, as the union leader, pretending to be representing the interests of those workers. It ended in those workers being paid $18.14 an hour. Now, this man - this man, Mr Speaker, is the great - the great false pretender of Australian politics. He presided over an arrangement in relation to Cleanevent where those workers were entitled to $50.17 per hour under the award, the deal he brokered, as the union leader, pretending to be representing the interests of those workers. It ended in those workers being paid $18.14 an hour. Now, this man – this man, Mr Speaker, is the great – the great false pretender of Australian politics.
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Labor to Turnbull: My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the assistant minister to the Treasurer has stated young Australians should get a high-paying job to buy their first home, why is the government now standing by and doing nothing while the wages of young Australians are being cut? Labor to Turnbull: My question is to the prime minister. Given the assistant minister to the treasurer has stated young Australians should get a high-paying job to buy their first home, why is the government now standing by and doing nothing while the wages of young Australians are being cut?
Turnbull flicks the question to Christopher Pyne, representing the employment minister Michaelia Cash. Turnbull flicks the question to Christopher Pyne, representing the employment minister, Michaelia Cash.
Pyne flicks the switch to vaudeville, referring to previous workplace agreements negotiated by Bill Shorten.Pyne flicks the switch to vaudeville, referring to previous workplace agreements negotiated by Bill Shorten.
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Ben DohertyBen Doherty
The legislative and constitutional affairs committee has before it the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Fractious and frustrating as ever. Just before the lunch break, Greens senator Nick McKim asked department secretary Mike Pezzullo about the escape from Lorengau prison (for the second time) of Joseph Kaluvia last weekend. Kaluvia is one of two men convicted of murdering Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati inside the Manus Island detention centre in 2014.The legislative and constitutional affairs committee has before it the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Fractious and frustrating as ever. Just before the lunch break, Greens senator Nick McKim asked department secretary Mike Pezzullo about the escape from Lorengau prison (for the second time) of Joseph Kaluvia last weekend. Kaluvia is one of two men convicted of murdering Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati inside the Manus Island detention centre in 2014.
PNG police commander David Yapu has said Kaluvia was a “high-risk” escapee and that he held concerns for the safety of the community and, in particular, two witnesses who gave evidence at his trial. Those two witnesses, Iranian asylum seekers, remain in the Manus Island detention centre. McKim wants to know why those witnesses weren’t informed by the detention centre operators that Kaluvia had escaped again.PNG police commander David Yapu has said Kaluvia was a “high-risk” escapee and that he held concerns for the safety of the community and, in particular, two witnesses who gave evidence at his trial. Those two witnesses, Iranian asylum seekers, remain in the Manus Island detention centre. McKim wants to know why those witnesses weren’t informed by the detention centre operators that Kaluvia had escaped again.
It was taken on notice by Pezzullo, who says he doesn’t immediately see how that’s a contractual matter for the detention centre operators.It was taken on notice by Pezzullo, who says he doesn’t immediately see how that’s a contractual matter for the detention centre operators.
Earlier, there was much back and forth about the US refugee deal and whether Australia’s agreement to take central American refugees from Costa Rican refugee camps was a “people swap”.Earlier, there was much back and forth about the US refugee deal and whether Australia’s agreement to take central American refugees from Costa Rican refugee camps was a “people swap”.
It categorically is not, according to the assistant minister, Michaelia Cash, despite comments from minister Peter Dutton last week that Australia would not take any from the American camps until refugees had been resettled from Australia’s camps on Manus and Nauru.It categorically is not, according to the assistant minister, Michaelia Cash, despite comments from minister Peter Dutton last week that Australia would not take any from the American camps until refugees had been resettled from Australia’s camps on Manus and Nauru.
Pezzullo said the two deals were “not linked”. He told estimates he expected refugees in the Australian-run camps to be resettled in America “in the foreseeable future”, an answer of such spectacular banality that even the committee’s curmudgeon-in-chief, Ian Macdonald, couldn’t hold back a smirk. Pezzullo later refined this timeframe to “movement within the next few, several months, indeed”. Crystal.Pezzullo said the two deals were “not linked”. He told estimates he expected refugees in the Australian-run camps to be resettled in America “in the foreseeable future”, an answer of such spectacular banality that even the committee’s curmudgeon-in-chief, Ian Macdonald, couldn’t hold back a smirk. Pezzullo later refined this timeframe to “movement within the next few, several months, indeed”. Crystal.
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Labor to Turnbull: The premier of Western Australia has said, “What I would like to see is reduce those excessive Sunday penalty rates”. Does the prime minister support the premier’s statement? Doesn’t the prime minister’s refusal to take action show that cutting penalty rates is now his government’s policy?Labor to Turnbull: The premier of Western Australia has said, “What I would like to see is reduce those excessive Sunday penalty rates”. Does the prime minister support the premier’s statement? Doesn’t the prime minister’s refusal to take action show that cutting penalty rates is now his government’s policy?
Turnbull is again careful to say he supports the independent umpire without explicitly supporting the cut to penalty rates.Turnbull is again careful to say he supports the independent umpire without explicitly supporting the cut to penalty rates.
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Kevin Andrew lines up Rudy Giuliani’s wisdom.Kevin Andrew lines up Rudy Giuliani’s wisdom.
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Shorten to Turnbull: Why is this government giving big business a tax cut but doing nothing to stop workers getting a pay cut?
Turnbull says Shorten has consistently made the case for the independent umpire.
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Labor’s Catherine King to Malcolm Turnbull: Can the prime minister guarantee the decision to cut penalty rates in the retail and hospitality industries will not lead to the pay of other industries, people like nurses who work late nights and weekends caring for the sick and injured? Why won’t the prime minister support Labor’s legislation to protect the penalty rates of all Australians?
So Labor is trying to extend the FWC penalties decision to other professions.
Turnbull arcs up, calling it another reckless scare campaign before King is turfed out of the chamber for interjecting. Turnbull obviously thinks better of it and says he has concluded his answer.
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Labor to Barnaby Joyce: PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis reported in the Australian shows wages in regional Australia have grown three times slower than in major cities. Given regional workers are already doing it tough, why is the deputy prime minister supporting pay cuts for regional Australians? Including up to 13,000 retail accommodation and food services workers in the electorate of Dawson and up to 16,000 in the electorate of Leichhardt?
Barnaby goes into a Joycean rave about how Labor had done nothing for regional Australia and the MP for Herbert, Cathy O’Toole, had done nothing to support the Hell’s Gate dam.
He does not go to regional wages or whether he supports the penalty rates decision by the FWC.
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Tanya Plibersek asks Turnbull: How many women will have their pay cut because of the penalty rates decision and what will this do to the gender pay gap in Australia?
Turnbull quotes figures for the different sectors including retail, hospitality and food sectors. He says:
There’s more female than males working in those sectors but it’s not clear in terms of those who were receiving the penalty rates that are affected by the decision, that the balance is markedly different between men and women.
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Greens Adam Bandt to Malcolm Turnbull: Newspoll today should be no surprise, young people are getting screwed over. Owning a home is out of reach, study is getting more expensive, work is getting more insecure and now many young people’s wages will be cut after the Fair Work Commission decision cheered on by your government to cut their penalty rates. Last year the Greens announced our plan to protect penalty rates in legislation and we’re pleased that others are now onboard. Prime minister, will you now join with the rest of the parliament in protecting the wages of hundreds of thousands of Australians, especially our youngest and lowest-paid workers by backing the Greens’ bill? Wouldn’t it be better to protect the young people’s wages rather than give the big banks a multimillion-dollar handout?
Turnbull has been quoting Jennie George, former president of the ACTU, who wrote to the Oz last week.
I worked alongside Iain Ross for several years at the ACTU. His diligence, competence, commitment and integrity was acclaimed throughout the union movement and by all who dealt with him. After working in the legal system, his appointment as Fair Work Australia president by the then Labor government recognised the qualities and widespread experience he would bring to this important position.
Of course unions should express concern about the impact of the decision on the wages of affected workers. I am sure this weighed heavily on the FWA members, who spent years examining the submissions and witness evidence. That’s why the bench has deferred consideration of the transitional arrangements to implement their decision, mindful of the potential effects on low-paid workers.
The door is open for the unions to argue for transitional arrangements that would minimise these effects. In addition, the relevant unions could try safeguarding their current penalty rates through enterprise agreements.
Be careful what you wish for. Bill Shorten was right to say before the election that he would accept the decision. An independent umpire has been the bedrock of our industrial relations system and should be beyond party politics.
Turnbull says:
There is always a balance between the rate of penalty rates and its impact on employment. It’s clearly a contentious matter. You have an independent body has determined it, they have considered it carefully, they have come to the conclusion.
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Paul Karp
I’ve been taking a look at the Labor and Greens bills on penalty rates and in an earlier post said Labor’s bill would effectively stop penalty rate cuts by setting a very high bar to make award changes.
But it’s important to note the bill would only stop the most recent Fair Work Commission cut if it were legislated before orders are made (some time before 1 July).
The Greens’ bill actually locks in the rates at the start of 2017. So if their bill were ever legislated, it would unwind the most recent FWC decision.
Labor’s bill on its face prevents the cut but, by the time they are back in government and could actually legislate it, it would probably be too late for the 700,000 workers who are about to get a cut. I expect the Greens will push them on this point.
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Shorten to Turnbull: In April of last year, the prime minister legislated to overturn the decision of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the independent umpire for safe rates in the trucking industry. And then, in October of last year, the prime minister again legislated to pre-empt the decision of the Fair Work Commission in relation to the Country Fire Authority. So why is the prime minister now refusing to legislate to stop this pay cut to 700,000 Australians?
Turnbull:
April was a notable month last year because that was the month in which the leader of the opposition gave his absolutely unqualified, unequivocal pledge to Neil Mitchell that he would support, commit to, abide by the decision of the Fair Work Commission on penalty rates.
Turnbull says the abolition of the RSRT was always Liberal policy and “we carried it out”.
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Next government question is on affordable energy, allowing Malcolm Turnbull to talk about Labor’s reckless renewable policies.
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Labor’s employment shadow, Brendan O’Connor, to Malcolm Turnbull: Why is the prime minister standing by and doing absolutely nothing to stop nearly 700,000 Australians from having their pay cut by up to $77 a week?
Turnbull continues to read previous Shorten statements relating to the independent umpire, the Fair Work Commission.
In terms of dealing with penalty rates making from our side of politics, we believe the Fair Work Commission is the independent umpire, it should make the decisions and we should respect them. That used to be the position on the other side. Apparently in January, according to the member for McMahon, the leader of the opposition had some sort of thought cleansing experience when suddenly he was reprogrammed.
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First government question to Turnbull is on the visit by the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo.
It relates to the agreement with Indonesia to lower its sugar tariff on Australian sugar to the Asean level of 5% and longer-term agreements to permit a wider range of cattle both in terms of weight and age, to be exported to Indonesia.
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