Neil Breen
Okay, the Jobs and Skills Summit finished up on Friday. It was a gabfest. I told you it was gonna happen and everything happened. But some revealing stuff over the weekend. The industrial relations Minister Tony Burke, before it even ended basically or as it ended, he wrote a letter and sent it off to the Fair Work Commission, advising the Fair Work Commission of the Albanese government’s plan to create laws that would rule out employers axing existing pay deals as a bargaining measure in ongoing negotiations. Look, a lot of it’s got to do with this big blue in New South Wales now, between the state government and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union. That fight doesn’t have a lot to do with us here in Brisbane. But what I’m interested in is the fact that the dust had barely settled on this conference and there he was writing off to the Fair Work Commission about something he’s going to be doing, Tony Burke, and something that government is doing, or both are supposed to take ideas away and then collaborate? The whole thing was fitted to an outcome. The deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate is Michaelia Cash. She’s had a lot to say about it. She’s on the line. How are you, Senator?
Senator Cash
I’m fantastic, Neil, and I do apologise for the bells running in the background, but the parliament is sitting.
Neil Breen
Oh, okay, okay. You just tell us if you have to go.
Senator Cash
All good.
Senator Cash
But Tony Burke… am I right to interpret that this thing barely finished the Jobs Summit, and he’s there writing to the Fair Work Commission? It’s supposed to be independent anyway.
Senator Cash
That’s exactly right, Neil. So what’s deeply concerning is that a minister in the Albanese government would consider it appropriate to write to a tribunal to seek to influence them. I mean, the Fair Work Act section 674 is very, very clear. You cannot improperly influence a member of the Fair Work Commission. But not only that, he’s pre-empted what the Australian Senate may or may not do in relation to any changes Labor may bring forward. The role of any court, the role of any tribunal is to make decisions based on the law as it stands today. Not based on the law Mr. Albanese, the ACTU, the AWU, the CFMEU – may want it to say but based on the law today. So look, this is deeply concerning but I do see that the New South Wales Government have said they are seeking legal advice in relation to the implications of this and whether or not the minister has breached section 674 of the Fair Work Act.
Neil Breen
Of all the Labor ministers, Tony Burke from from day one of the new government has, more than any other, looked like the cat that caught the canary. He is itching to pull the trigger on behalf of unions at the expense of employers and this huge argument that’s going on. The big thing is this enterprise bargaining out the window and industry wide pay conditions coming in that have people are very, very concerned in business. What are your thoughts about that?
Senator Cash
Oh, well, this is an outdated approach to industrial relations that as you know, and many of your listeners will know, it was effectively abolished by the Keating Government way back in 1991. It was something that the unions demanded under the former Labor government have Rudd and Gillard, and guess what, even they didn’t capitulate to the demands of the unions. But what you have is Mr. Albanese and Mr. Burke, they are absolutely paying their paymaster. This is a government that is showing they’re not interested in addressing the rising cost of living. They’re not interested in addressing higher productivity. They are only interested in entertaining and delivering all the outrageous demands from the ACTU. Many of your listeners, if they cast their minds back to the days of the 70s and the 80s, just remember, general strikes, airline strikes, public transport strikes, pier strikes, waterfront strikes, retail strikes. Is that a period in time that Australians want to visit again? I would say the answer to that is no. All Australians want is a plan to address the rising cost of living and Mr. Albanese has failed miserably.
Neil Breen
One of the things that the Labor government went to the election on was that they were the ones with the answers to the cost of living, they were the ones who would increase real wages because they had a plan. All of these plans seem to have gone out the window within months, because of course, there was no plan that could stop what were global issues that were coming like a steam train to Australia.
Senator Cash
And this is the whole point. Mr Albanese, when they were in opposition, they criticised every single day the former coalition government. And yet when you look at our record, one of the things that we’re very proud of is that we do have record employment in Australia, record full time employment in Australia, despite COVID-19. If Mr Albanese was dinkum on signing up more enterprise agreements and actually getting wages moving, you’ve got to ask, why did they refuse to back the former coalition government’s modest changes to the Better Off Overall Test? When we brought them to the parliament 18 months ago we proposed sensible changes, and what did they say? They faught them every single step of the way. So when you look at their rhetoric – delivering full employment, real wage increase and productivity gains – and then when you actually look at what they are now proposing to deliver on the demands of the ACTU, and to allow strikes to occur from New South Wales to Queensland to the NT to Perth to Tasmania, you name it, that will be devastating for our economy. But Neil, it’s the Australian people who end up paying, that’s it. Their life gets more expensive because the Albanese government are not prepared to put their interests first. They are prepared to only delivered to their paymasters, the union movement in Australia.
Neil Breen
Can I make one other reflection about parliament, Senator, before we go? I was watching Question Time from the House of Reps (obviously, you’re in the Senate), and last week there was a National Cabinet meeting where basically restrictions and masks have been thrown out the window. You won’t even need to wear them on a plane on Friday when everyone goes home for parliament, yet the Labor side of politics of all sit there, they’ve all got masks on in Parliament. But I just don’t get it, like is this ideological warfare or something?
Senator Cash
In the Senate, I have to say they didn’t. So you’ve got to sort of ask what was the direction to the House of Reps members and what was the direction to the senate members? But Australians, we’ve well and truly got past this. Australians want to get to the other side of COVID-19. We’re pretty much as a country fully vaccinated. I, like so many of your listeners, am triple vaccinated. I’ve had COVID-19 so I’ve boosted my immunity (not because I wanted to, but I boosted it naturally by getting COVID-191). Australia’s want to know we are at the other side of COVID-19 they don’t want to be reminded of the past. And this is where Mr. Albanese just continues to fail them. You look at what he promised prior to the election, the full employment the real wage increases, productivity gains that’s what families in Australia’s want. That’s what businesses in Australia’s want. A plan to address the rising cost of living and all you have is the prospect of jumping back to the 70s and 80s which literally means devastation for our economy, and devastation for our economy paid for by the Australian people.
Neil Breen
I gotta say that I’m worried about the way they’re heading but anyway, Michaelia Cash, I find it very interesting. We know that the House of Reps gets a lot of play on TV and there they were wearing masks. I find it very, very odd, Senator. Thanks for your time.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you. Looking forward to doing it again.
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