Industrial Relations

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Industrial Relations regarding jobs in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Yesterday, the Minister for Industrial Relations rambled in response to a question asked by the Hon. Jing Lee regarding the Labor federal government's industrial relations legislation—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: —dismissing it as a federal—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down. I cannot hear the question, so please, I would like to hear the question asked with silence in the chamber, and then I would like to hear the answer with silence in the chamber. The Hon. Leader of the Opposition, you might need to start again, because I heard none of it.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Yesterday, the Minister for Industrial Relations rambled in response to a question asked by the Hon. Jing Lee regarding the Labor federal government's industrial relations legislation, dismissing it as a federal matter and as outside of his concerns as a South Australian Minister for Industrial Relations. Ironically, this morning, The Advertiser reports that 'Labor work law reforms spark red flag: warnings from SA business groups'.

Business groups such as Business SA, the Australian Industry Group, the Motor Trade Association, the Australian Hotels Association and—wait for it—the Master Builders Association of South Australia have penned a statement warning that federal Labor's industrial relations legislation will drive a decline in local jobs and hurt productivity and investment. Within this statement, they have said the biggest red flag within the proposed multi-employer bargaining provisions was the new single interest employer authorisation scheme. They have said that:

This new stream is the wrong approach and would force employers and their employees to be made parties to an agreement they have not negotiated.

This approach would enable unions to reach agreement with a few employers and then extend the agreement to hundreds of other employers.

This would particularly damage small businesses, who would have costly new conditions and requirements imposed on them for nothing in return.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I can't hear the question that is being asked. Both sides of the chamber, silence. Please conclude.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The group have also stated that:

If passed in the Senate, this flawed bill will result in the most significant and regressive industrial relations changes in well over a decade.

My questions to the minister are:

1. What is your—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Just wait. Right. Now ask the questions, please, so we can all hear them.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: My questions are:

1. What is the minister's response to the concerns of these industry bodies, industry bodies such as the MBA, AHA and Business South Australia, who employ thousands of South Australians across our state?

2. Will the minister admit that he was totally out of touch with the business community when he stood up to provide his arrogant answers yesterday?

3. As the state Minister for Industrial Relations, can he give reassurance to business groups that such unionised industrial relations legislation will not destroy jobs and investment in our South Australian economy?

4. In light of the minister's comment yesterday that:

We have massive interaction with business groups as a Labor government. Let me give you an example of an interaction with a business group…At the MBA awards recently, there were about half a dozen Labor members and ministers who attended those.

Is the government and the minister actually talking to business groups such as the MBA or are they just there for the free dinners and the photo ops?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I call the Minister for Industrial Relations.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:33): I thank the honourable member for her—I guess 'questions', you could call them. Look, I will say from the outset that it was put a bit more eloquently than perhaps other questions that were asked yesterday, but regardless of how the questions are asked, what we do not agree with on this side—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Please sit down, Attorney. Look, we are not going to have a repeat of yesterday. I want to hear the answer to the question. I tried to ensure that the question was asked and heard in silence, and I would like to hear the answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I was saying, regardless of how the question is asked, I can tell you one thing for certain: we do not agree with what seemed to be a new policy announced by the Hon. Jing Lee yesterday to deliberately try to push down wages of workers. We don't agree with that at all. That is not our policy. That is not what we wish for in South Australia.

In relation to the other part of the honourable member's question, I, as a minister, and many of my colleagues regularly have meetings with a whole range of industry and business groups, and I think a lot more than perhaps the former government used to do. Here's an example: before the last election my predecessor, who used to stand just here, the Hon. Rob Lucas, would turn up to a business event, stay for a very brief period to deliver his speech and then leave. He didn't want feedback, he didn't want to hear from people, whereas the then leader of the opposition, the now Premier, would stay for the whole event, hear feedback, interact, and that is probably why the parties are where they are now.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Point of order, Mr President.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley and the Hon. Mr Hunter! I will listen to your point of order.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Section 193: the minister has accused me of announcing some policy, which I have not said, yesterday. I want him to withdraw that comment, sir.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Attorney, withdraw it.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As I said, it seemed that the shadow minister was announcing a policy. We look forward to the actual announcement in the future.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I think you can do a better job of withdrawing it.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: On your advice, sir, I withdraw the comments—

The PRESIDENT: Thank you.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —and we keenly await the announcement of the actual policy to suppress wages.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!