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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-24 Daily Xml
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FAIRNESS TEST

The Hon. L. STEVENS (Little Para) (14:53): Is the Minister for Industrial Relations. aware of employers being given approval to slash South Australian workers' pay and conditions under the Howard government's Fairness Test?

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Finance, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:53): I am very aware of that, and I am sure that members opposite will want to hear about it as well. The Howard government's Workplace Authority has delivered clear evidence that workers' pay and conditions can still be slashed under WorkChoices. The Howard government's Workplace Authority has said that under the Howard government's Fairness Test slashing workers' pay and conditions is fair.

I am advised that a South Australian employer formally asked the Workplace Authority whether its proposed workplace agreement passed the Fairness Test. The proposed agreement cut overtime penalties, slashed loadings for weekend work, abolished paid breaks, abolished annual leave loading, and increased ordinary working hours. I understand that in exchange for that there was to be a supposed $50 a week increase in the base rate but, when the slashing of workers' entitlements is added up, many workers would be $70 worse off—many other workers would be even more worse off. One of the workers affected has said publicly that last year he earned $51,000 but the proposed agreement would see him lose $15,000 a year. So, under the Howard government's Fairness Test $70 a week less pay for longer hours is fair. On 5 September this year the federal Minister for Workplace Relations said:

Employees have more protections in place than ever before, ensuring that penalty rates, overtime and other protected conditions cannot just be taken away without fair compensation. The Labor Party and unions continue to scare people and lie about penalty rates. They continue to criticise the Fairness Test.

The Howard government has spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars peddling poisonous propaganda to try to deceive Australians. The evidence is all here for everyone to see: the Howard government's so-called Fairness Test says slashing workers' pay and conditions is fair. What is clearly shown is that WorkChoices means working longer for less—even with the so-called Fairness Test.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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