Those opposing a bill overhauling workplace laws are “standing in the way of progress”, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says.
There’s been fierce criticism of elements of the government’s bill, particularly the inclusion of multi-employer bargaining.
Committing to push ahead with the legislation, Mr Albanese said his government wouldn’t shy away from the challenge of securing the rights and dignity of working people.
The bill has passed the lower house and will be debated in the Senate in the next fortnight as the government pushes to pass the laws by the end of the year.
“(There are) those who have an ingrained ideological objection to workers being paid fairly for their contribution, who somehow believe the only way to grow the economy is to limit opportunity and diminish security,” Mr Albanese said in a speech to the International Trade Union Confederation in Melbourne on Monday.
“We know there are always those who say any improvement in workers’ pay, any improvement in the status quo, will see the sky fall in … they say it every time, and they are wrong every time.”
But opposition to the changes has grown in volume, with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry launching an advertising blitz arguing it will cost workers jobs rather than lift wages.
Labor’s Senate leader Katy Gallagher said the criticism would not shake the government’s belief it was the right course of action.
“We won’t be distracted by an advertising campaign and we will continue to advocate on behalf of working Australians and getting wages moving,” she told ABC Radio.
“Where people spend money on advertising campaigns is their decision; some will argue money could be better spent on other things, but that is their decision.”
She added she was hopeful the Senate would sit two extra days – Friday this week and next – to ensure the bill passed before the end of the year.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie, who has also been a critic of the legislation, again suggested the government split the bill to quickly pass changes that had broad agreement.
“We (can) come back to the other 10 or 15 per cent of it after Christmas, simple as that, it won’t make a goddamn difference to rising wages,” she told Nine’s Today program.
“Small business has done it tough through COVID … I do not want to slam them with unintended consequences that may come out of this bill.”
Senator Gallagher said separating contentious elements like multi-employer bargaining defeated the purpose of the bill.
Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan said having the bill scrapped – rather than split – was the opposition’s priority.
“They’ve got no mandate for it, and there is nothing which shows in any way it will do what the government is hoping for it to do,” he told Sky News.
“It was cooked up before the job summit to make sure that the union movement stayed quiet … this is about Labor looking after their union mates at the expense of small and medium-sized businesses.”
By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

