Race to pass industrial laws slows to a crawl as government courts Senate vote
The Albanese government’s controversial workplace relations overhaul will face a last-minute hearing on Tuesday as the opposition continues to woo key crossbenchers to kill the bill.
Independent Senator David Pocock pictured in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
The Fair Work Commission and the Employment and Workplace Relations department will front the bill’s Senate inquiry before the report into the industrial relations bill is handed down later on Tuesday.
It’s believed key crossbenchers – including independent ACT senator David Pocock – will grill them on what impact multi-employer bargaining will have on Australian workforces amid fears it will cause a rise in industrial action.
The government wants to pass it before Christmas but that will require the support of at least one Senate crossbencher, with Pocock appearing the most likely candidate.
Pocock said he wouldn’t front up to the government with a shopping list and horse-trade his way to supporting the bill, but rather continue to work through the legislation clause by clause.
“I want to get this right, it affects too many Australians, too many workers, too many small businesses,” he told reporters.
“As I’ve said to the government over and over, 85 or 90 per cent of this bill would pass today in the Senate … it’s the last details and some really serious and valid concerns being raised from all sides.”
A point of contention remains what level of employees would constitute a small business, with the coalition calling for the proposed threshold to be lifted from less than 15 employees to less than 200.
“We’ve heard everything from no threshold from some of the unions to 200 from some of the business groups – we’ll continue to consult on that,” Pocock said.
“We’ll continue to engage with small business where there is a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of that stems from not having the time to get across this massive omnibus bill.”
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley admitted lifting the small business threshold would make the bill slightly more palatable, but the coalition remains strongly opposed and called on the Senate to vote it down.
“This radical, extreme industrial relations legislation will hit small businesses in every corner of the country with no area immune,” she told reporters.
“There is no way Labor could have got this legislation through via the front door at an election, so they’re pushing it through the back door, rushing it through the parliament, showing everyday Australians where their priorities really are.”
