Industrial relations reform: Coalition ready to bring it on

Coalition’s industrial relations changes listed for the Senate on Tuesday after a green light from government senators.

Asked if the government ­intended to bring on a vote next week, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham replied: “We’ll see”. Picture: Russell Millard

The Morrison government will bring on its industrial relations bill for Senate debate next Tuesday after Coalition senators recommended the proposed laws be passed without amendment.

The green light from government members after a three-month Senate inquiry contrasted with dissenting reports from Labor and Greens senators, who called for the bill to be dumped.

The government has listed the bill in the Senate program for Tuesday but a decision to bring it to a vote next week will depend on negotiations with crossbenchers.

With the government requiring three out of five crossbench votes, One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts will propose more than 12 amendments to Acting Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash.

The government’s best prospect of getting the numbers next week is by winning the support of One Nation and Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff, who is pushing for changes including ­increased employee access to Fair Work Commission arbitration.

Asked if the government ­intended to bring on a vote next week, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham replied: “We’ll see.”

While the government is keen to get the bill passed next week given its next opportunity to bring on a vote is likely to be June, Senator Birmingham indicated the ­Coalition was prepared to continue talks with the crossbench if it failed to get a deal in coming days. He said the crossbench had shown “a willingness to have discussions. I hope we can continue that. If not next week then over a longer period of time.”

In the Senate inquiry report, Liberal senator James McGrath acknowledged union concerns about casual conversion provisions but accepted the ­Attorney-General’s Department contention that they were “based largely on misconceptions”.

He said while there were “mixed views” about allowing greenfields agreements of up to eight years, the committee ­believed they would deliver the industrial stability needed to ­secure investment in major ­projects. He said the bill got the balance right between delivering the required labour market flexibility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and protections for employees. “Overall, the committee is ­encouraged by the broad support for the bill from those stakeholders who will be responsible for decisions around whether to hire workers and pay higher wages in coming months and years, and their confirmation that the measures in the bill will assist in delivering these outcomes,” he said.

In their dissenting report, Labor senators said the bill was a “ham-fisted and unbalanced ­attempt at reform”. “Alarmingly, the improvements put forward seem to seek to provide cover for an insidious agenda,” they said.

“What … the Morrison government have put forward, under the guise of support for economic ­recovery, panders to a big business wish list that has been around since Work Choices.”

The Greens said instead of passing the bill, “we need to outlaw insecure work and ensure the right of all workers to a safe, meaningful, secure job”.