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
TRANSCRIPT
2GB Breakfast with James Willis
TOPICS: Sydney rail strikes
16 January 2024
E&OE
James Willis
The big issue today is what happened with the rail network. Yesterday, 1500 train services were cancelled and it continues today. I’m hearing a lot of people have given the network a wide berth, but anyone who’s tried is still having issues, major delays. People yesterday stranded on trains for hours and hours and hours, as the rail union demands 32% over the next four years. Now, what makes this a little bit complicated is that the rail union is working with Federal legislation, and so you’ve got this state workforce, but they are protected by the Fair Work Act, and they’ve got 200 work bans in place, and there’s been a call today for the Commonwealth Government, led by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is a Sydney MP to get involved, Michaelia Cash Shadow Workplace Relations Minister is on the line. Michaelia, good morning to you.
Senator Cash
Good morning James, and good morning to your listeners.
James Willis
You know about this very, very well. You’ve covered these issues. You’ve worked on these issues extensively. We’ve had the CFMEU, we’ve had the wharfies, and now in Sydney, it’s chaos with the rail union, and they’re protected.
Senator Cash
It is an absolute joke. It is Australia’s largest city. It is being held to ransom. The public are being held to ransom. They are inconvenienced. And Mr. Albanese sits back and does nothing. Let’s be clear, under the Fair Work Act, the Federal industrial relations minister can intervene to stop the strike if it’s causing significant damage to the Australian economy or an important part of it. So the powers are there. But James, do you really think they’re going to do that? Because Mr. Albanese has given the unions virtually unrestricted power in Australian workplaces. That was always his plan. And quite frankly, this is utterly appalling, what is going on?
James Willis:
Well, if they cared about their voters, Michaelia, and this is the Prime Minister who has an inner west seat in Sydney. It was Tony Burke, Chris Bowen, Jason Clare. Well, then they’d be saying, guys, this is really, really disruptive to us. It was chaos yesterday. People couldn’t get to work. People were stuck. They couldn’t get into the city. You’re saying, with a stroke of a pen, the relevant minister can stop this.
Senator Cash
Well, let’s be very clear, when I was the relevant minister under the previous Coalition Government, I foreshadowed, I merely foreshadowed, intervening in the Fremantle Port dispute. And guess what? It brought the matter to a head very, very quickly. But yes, the powers are there. Mr. Albanese could instruct Minister Watt today to intervene to stop the strike. But honestly, do we really think they’re going to get involved? I mean, this is a government James that have given the unions virtually unrestricted power in Australian workplaces. This is a government that takes money from the unions. It has support on polling day from the unions. They are Mr. Albanese’s allies, and Mr. Albanese yet again, and this has been a pattern of his government, you put the demands of the unions above the needs of the Australian people. And as I said, welcome to life under Anthony Albanese. But James, if it’s this bad in a first term, government, can you honestly imagine how bad it could possibly be under a second term, minority government Albanese and the Greens. God help Australia is what I say.
James Willis
Great. Really appreciate you talking to us this morning.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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