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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2017/mar/02/eric-abetz-no-worker-should-be-worse-off-under-penalty-rate-cut-politics-live
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| Eric Abetz: no worker should be worse off under penalty rate cut – politics live | Eric Abetz: no worker should be worse off under penalty rate cut – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.17pm GMT | |
| 22:17 | |
| Campbell agrees in some cases initial robo debt letters were sent to old addresses. Says 6600 addresses were old #estimates @gabriellechan | |
| 10.16pm GMT | |
| 22:16 | |
| My colleague Christopher Knaus is watching the the community affairs estimates. He did some great work on this over the Christmas period so he is worth following. | |
| DHS secretary Kath Campbell defends robo debt system as fair, says initial letters not "debt letters"in #estimates @gabriellechan | |
| 10.13pm GMT | |
| 22:13 | |
| 10.08pm GMT | |
| 22:08 | |
| One of the issues that has lobbed back on to the prime ministerial plate is 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. This happened after the report this week basically came up with every single option from procedural changes to removing “insult” and “offend”. There was a prize for every child. Again it bounces back to the leadership group. | |
| Scott Morrison has been quite forthright on this. A change to the act won’t create a single job, says the treasurer. (ie, colleague frolic.) | |
| Turnbull does a bit of conservative whispering, pointing out he defended Peter Wright in the Spycatcher case – a case that was about a former British spy’s right to free speech. | |
| This is a very legitimate area to discuss, to debate. Scott’s right. It’s not going to result in people making another investment and taking on more employees. But nonetheless, we are here in a house of freedom in parliament house, a house of democracy, and these issues are important. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.13pm GMT | |
| 9.57pm GMT | |
| 21:57 | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has been asked, do you think Tony Abbott’s intent on blowing up this government? | |
| I’ll decline the opportunity to comment on personalities. | |
| (This comes after Turnbull blamed Abbott for the bad Newspoll results this week.) | |
| 9.53pm GMT | |
| 21:53 | |
| Here is that quote from treasurer Scott Morrison on not spending any excess windfall in government revenue. | |
| Q: There is no temptation to spend it? | |
| John [Fraser] is right. That is government actual fiscal policy. | |
| 9.38pm GMT | 9.38pm GMT |
| 21:38 | 21:38 |
| Malcolm Turnbull lauds the national accounts figures while acknowledging that there are still parts of the country that are doing it tough. (Hello Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.) | Malcolm Turnbull lauds the national accounts figures while acknowledging that there are still parts of the country that are doing it tough. (Hello Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.) |
| There’s no doubt that parts of regional Australia – not all, but parts – of regional Australia have done it tough, largely because of the downturn in the mining and construction boom. | |
| You know, we have seen in this last quarter a pick-up in business investment which is a very good sign, but obviously ... investment in mining was up to 8% of GDP. It couldn’t stay there forever. | |
| It came off and that’s hit some regional areas very hard. Now, the good news is that because we are growing our exports. And you saw on the weekend I secured greater access for sugar and for beef into Indonesia ... it’s a huge market. | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.45pm GMT | |
| 9.28pm GMT | 9.28pm GMT |
| 21:28 | 21:28 |
| Malcolm Turnbull: FWC supports phased in penalty rate cuts, not grandfathering | Malcolm Turnbull: FWC supports phased in penalty rate cuts, not grandfathering |
| Malcolm Turnbull makes a couple of points. | Malcolm Turnbull makes a couple of points. |
| The FWC reduced some penalty rates, typically from 250% to 225% or 175% to 150%. | The FWC reduced some penalty rates, typically from 250% to 225% or 175% to 150%. |
| Modern awards state an intention that any changes to awards will not reduce the take-home pay of employees. | Modern awards state an intention that any changes to awards will not reduce the take-home pay of employees. |
| That is the take-home pay clause in every modern award. And the commission is now seeking submissions as to how to manage the transitional arrangements. [The FWC] have said that they do not support what’s called red-circling, which is where you would say that employee A’s penalty rate remains the same but new employees, B, C, D, would be under the new arrangements. | That is the take-home pay clause in every modern award. And the commission is now seeking submissions as to how to manage the transitional arrangements. [The FWC] have said that they do not support what’s called red-circling, which is where you would say that employee A’s penalty rate remains the same but new employees, B, C, D, would be under the new arrangements. |
| Which sounds like the PM does not support Abetz’s option of grandfathering. | Which sounds like the PM does not support Abetz’s option of grandfathering. |
| It depends what you mean by grandfathering? They’ve said they’re not in favour of that. They’ve indicated that provisionally. They have asked for submissions on how the take-home pay orders could be conducted. | It depends what you mean by grandfathering? They’ve said they’re not in favour of that. They’ve indicated that provisionally. They have asked for submissions on how the take-home pay orders could be conducted. |
| He says the FWC supports a phased-in transition so that as wages rise and penalty rates fall, it evens out in the pay packet. | He says the FWC supports a phased-in transition so that as wages rise and penalty rates fall, it evens out in the pay packet. |
| They have said – and this is consistent with the practice in the past – is that the changes to penalty rates should be phased in over a period of years ... The employee’s overall pay packet increases and offsets the phased-in reduction in penalty rates. | |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.46pm GMT | |
| 9.18pm GMT | 9.18pm GMT |
| 21:18 | 21:18 |
| Malcolm Turnbull is speaking to Sabra Lane on AM. | Malcolm Turnbull is speaking to Sabra Lane on AM. |
| He will not be giving an opinion on whether the government supports the penalty rate cut. | He will not be giving an opinion on whether the government supports the penalty rate cut. |
| If you’re asking me do I think that the penalty rate for a public holiday should be reduced in one award from 250% to 225%, that is a matter that the government has not decided. That is a matter for the Fair Work Commission. | If you’re asking me do I think that the penalty rate for a public holiday should be reduced in one award from 250% to 225%, that is a matter that the government has not decided. That is a matter for the Fair Work Commission. |
| 9.14pm GMT | 9.14pm GMT |
| 21:14 | 21:14 |
| The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has hardened his line on any increase in government revenue from commodity prices. | The treasurer, Scott Morrison, has hardened his line on any increase in government revenue from commodity prices. |
| Yesterday, after the hopeful national accounts, Morrison was a little coy about what he would do with any coming windfall. | Yesterday, after the hopeful national accounts, Morrison was a little coy about what he would do with any coming windfall. |
| If you were with me yesterday, you will know Treasury secretary John Fraser was clear cut in estimates hearings. Bank the savings, he said. As Peter Martin at Fairfax reports, | If you were with me yesterday, you will know Treasury secretary John Fraser was clear cut in estimates hearings. Bank the savings, he said. As Peter Martin at Fairfax reports, |
| Mr Fraser told the committee that if the terms of trade stayed high, the government should “prioritise budget repair and ensure that any additional revenue is banked as an improvement to the budget bottom line”. | Mr Fraser told the committee that if the terms of trade stayed high, the government should “prioritise budget repair and ensure that any additional revenue is banked as an improvement to the budget bottom line”. |
| “We need to take great care not to fall into the trap of spending unexpectedly higher revenue, should it arise, in a way that would structurally weaken the budget as may have occurred through the early 2000s,” he said. | “We need to take great care not to fall into the trap of spending unexpectedly higher revenue, should it arise, in a way that would structurally weaken the budget as may have occurred through the early 2000s,” he said. |
| Morrison told Kieran Gilbert on Sky that if there is an improvement – and it is not clear that there is – it will go to paying down the debt. | Morrison told Kieran Gilbert on Sky that if there is an improvement – and it is not clear that there is – it will go to paying down the debt. |
| He makes the point that he doesn’t want to chase revenue up hill and down dale. I will have the quotes to you ASAP but there is a lot happening here this morning. | He makes the point that he doesn’t want to chase revenue up hill and down dale. I will have the quotes to you ASAP but there is a lot happening here this morning. |
| The prime minister coming up. | The prime minister coming up. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.27pm GMT | at 9.27pm GMT |
| 9.04pm GMT | 9.04pm GMT |
| 21:04 | 21:04 |
| Good morning blogans, | Good morning blogans, |
| As you rub the sleep from your eyes, in this parallel universe of Australian politics, Eric Abetz has suggested no worker should be worse off under the penalty rate cut. | As you rub the sleep from your eyes, in this parallel universe of Australian politics, Eric Abetz has suggested no worker should be worse off under the penalty rate cut. |
| Unlike the senior levels of the Coalition, he unequivocally supported the decision. | Unlike the senior levels of the Coalition, he unequivocally supported the decision. |
| I am pleased that the Fair Work Commission made the decision that it did. | I am pleased that the Fair Work Commission made the decision that it did. |
| But: | But: |
| It’s now important that the Fair Work Commission’s decision is implemented in a fair and equitable manner for current workers in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. | It’s now important that the Fair Work Commission’s decision is implemented in a fair and equitable manner for current workers in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors. |
| This approach would ensure that “no worker is worse off” while allowing new opportunities for the unemployed and especially for young unemployed people. It would mean no existing worker would have their income or household budget adversely impacted while supporting small business and assisting the unemployed.” | This approach would ensure that “no worker is worse off” while allowing new opportunities for the unemployed and especially for young unemployed people. It would mean no existing worker would have their income or household budget adversely impacted while supporting small business and assisting the unemployed.” |
| Abetz’ argument is that the FWC has powers under the Fair Work Act to grandfather current employees covered by the Modern Awards mentioned in its recent 4 yearly review of modern awards – Penalty Rates with the new award rates applying only to prospective employees. | Abetz’ argument is that the FWC has powers under the Fair Work Act to grandfather current employees covered by the Modern Awards mentioned in its recent 4 yearly review of modern awards – Penalty Rates with the new award rates applying only to prospective employees. |
| He goes right to the point that is now under contention, that is how to implement the cut, remembering that Labor and the Greens are still trying to block the effect of the decision in parliament. | He goes right to the point that is now under contention, that is how to implement the cut, remembering that Labor and the Greens are still trying to block the effect of the decision in parliament. |
| Talk to me in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or at Facebook. The man with the lens is @mpbowers. The prime minister is coming up. Up, up and away. | Talk to me in the thread or on the Twits @gabriellechan or at Facebook. The man with the lens is @mpbowers. The prime minister is coming up. Up, up and away. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.15pm GMT | at 9.15pm GMT |