More Strikes and Job Losses

Courier Mail, Brisbane

SECURE jobs, better pay. It’s a nice sounding Bill that’s being rammed through our parliament right now. But it doesn’t matter how flat you make a pancake, there are always two sides. If the Federal Labor Government were to be believed, their industrial relations reform – the biggest reforms of their kind since the GST – are the silver bullet for wage growth.

If this was true, then it would have my whole support. But there are serious concerns that I have, that business groups and industry groups also share.

If the legislation were to be put into effect in its current form, family run businesses in Dawson, like a petrol station, an independent supermarket, or a local pharmacy, would be subject to infiltration from the unions, when they’re simply working to serve the community and provide for their family.

I am opposing this legislation because I want small, medium, and large business enterprises throughout Dawson to thrive. These laws would significantly increase the power of unions. And for the first time, unions would be able to be active in small businesses.

I visit local businesses every week in Dawson, and I can see the hard work, the long hours and the personal resources that are poured out by hardworking residents for their businesses to succeed.

There is widespread concern that these permanent changes would lead to more strikes and job losses, undermine the autonomy of business, compromise competition, reduce productivity and disproportionately impact small businesses.

Multi-employer bargaining – a key feature in this legislation – can group businesses and workplaces together on vague principles. For example, a small cafe operating in a shopping centre could be made to adhere to the same employment conditions as the supermarket operating out of the same centre, merely because they have their location in common.

Successful business practice is not a one size fits all system. Labor are trying to make a square peg fit a round hole and invent a silver bullet that simply won’t work.

The number of small businesses in Australia is 2.4 million. Two is the number of chances the Government was given to name a small business they consulted with when asked in Question Time this week. Zero is the number of small businesses they were able to identify.

These laws were not taken to the Australian people at the election. They are ill timed and ill prepared.

Two hours before the legislation went to a vote, Labor presented 150 amendments to the Bill.

It is sticky tape legislation that will permanently damage the business industry in our country.