Ayres, Sen Tim

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) (12:16): Imagine being lectured by Senator Birmingham and the coalition about productivity growth after a decade of the lowest ever productivity growth in our national history by a government that didn't understand the levers of productivity growth in the modern economy. It was the worst achievement ever in our history. Jobs were lost and investment went because of their mismanagement. Imagine taking a lecture from these jokers about productivity growth. That is the most dishonest, inappropriate, disconnected-from-reality kind of proposition that you could ever imagine. I understand Senator Lambie's proposition. I understand why she would adopt that proposition. There are a series of items in this bill that she instinctively supports and some others she finds more difficulty with. She would prefer to be able to deal just with the ones that she instinctively supports and deal with the others later. I understand that proposition. I don't agree with it. I think it's not the way that legislation works in this place, and it certainly wasn't the way— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator AYRES: it certainly wasn't the way that you lot dealt with legislation. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres, through me. Senator AYRES: I do wonder, though, about the mechanism that Senator Lambie has proposed. I wonder where she got the advice to propose that recommendation? The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres, just be careful here. I don't want any imputation of improper motive. Senator AYRES: I'll make it all right, don't worry. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I think you should reflect on your comments. Senator AYRES: I wonder whether the source of the advice, whether it's in her office or colleagues or over here or wherever it is— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator AYRES: or there. I wonder whether she has had the opportunity to consider something that is on the face of it procedurally risky, but also constitutionally risky in terms of the way we're dealing with legislation. As Senator Birmingham said, it has not been used since 1950, not since the 1950s. That is a very risky proposition for this place to consider. Now, I think that it's a bad idea for it to be pursued. I'm very sceptical of the alternative party of government here thinking that this is a good idea. What is this bill really all about besides the matters that Senator Lambie has set out? It is about dealing with the gig economy. Workers are being killed in the gig economy while delivering your lunches and dinners on their bicycles in every capital city around this country, and you want to put it off. It's not important enough for you lot. It is also about same job, same pay. I understand why you want to continue the labour hire rorts and loopholes. I don't think Senator Lambie ought to put that off into the never-never, which is the proposal here. It is about wage theft. The wages of ordinary people, particularly young workers in hospitality and retail, are being wilfully stolen from them, and the alternative party of government says: 'Nothing to see here. Let it go.' That is the proposition here. This government is not going to support the cherry-picking of elements of our industrial relations legislation. We are working in a careful way through fixing an outdated and broken industrial relations system that has undermined productivity, undermined investment confidence and undermined cooperation in our workplaces. If you care about cooperation in our workplaces, if you care about cooperation productivity growth and if you care about cooperation business investment in the Australian economy, the way forward is all about supporting our industrial relations reforms. What we won't cop from the party that destroyed Australian manufacturing, that offshored vehicle manufacturing and that saw manufacturing shrink is a lecture about manufacturing in this country.