Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:07): Thank you, Senator Hutchins. It is such a good question, you will probably get more before you leave. The federal government returned fairness and balance to the industrial relations landscape in Australia when we introduced the Fair Work Act. We introduced that act after lengthy consultations with all industrial parties because we understand that the industrial relations system must provide a fair framework for both employers and employees. The Fair Work Act provided a balanced framework for delivering fair and productive workplaces, and at the heart of the system is enterprise bargaining based on the principle of good-faith negotiation. I am pleased that thousands of employers and their employees are getting on with the business of bargaining under the Fair Work Act. If a party fails to bargain in good faith, both the union and the employer can ask Fair Work Australia, the independent umpire, for assistance in dealing with a bargaining dispute. In stark contrast, the legislation being introduced by the New South Wales government seeks to undermine the checks and balances this government put in place and to deny public-sector workers the rights enjoyed by all other Australian workers. Their bill seeks to treat those government workers in New South Wales as second-class citizens. Senator Ian Macdonald: They are implementing a program that the majority voted for. Senator Cameron: That's rubbish! The PRESIDENT: Senator Ian Macdonald and Senator Cameron, if you two wish to debate the issue, the time is post question time. When there is silence, we will proceed. Senator Evans, continue. Senator CHRIS EVANS: Thank you. The New South Wales Liberal Party bill requires New South Wales Industrial Relations to enforce government policy declared by regulation relating to wages and conditions of employment not just for New South Wales public-sector workers but for a broader definition including teachers, nurses and firefighters. While the current focus of the bill is on capping pay rises, it allows the government to unilaterally set the wages and conditions of all its public-sector employees. It reduces the independent umpire to a rubber stamp for the government wages policy, regardless of what the policy dictates. New South Wales workers will be second-class citizens with no rights to an independent umpire.