Major employer groups, teal MPs call for more time to scrutinise industrial relations changes
The push to delay a lower house vote on the IR changes comes as the government unveils a $255m package responding to more than 140 freed immigration detainees.
Nearly a dozen leading employer groups and key lower house crossbench MPs are warning the Albanese government against rushing its overhauled industrial relations bill through the chamber this week, with demands parliament be given more time to scrutinise the “radical” omnibus legislation.
Labor is facing a fierce pushback from teal MPs and 11 business and industry groups over its Closing Loopholes Bill as it also uses the parliamentary sitting week to try to restore powers to strip dual citizens convicted of a serious crime – such as terrorism, treason, mutiny, foreign interference or espionage – of their Australian citizenship.
Facing pressure in parliament over the release of 141 foreign criminals into the community after the High Court quashed indefinite detention of non-citizens, the Albanese government has unveiled a $255m boost to monitor the freed detainees. The funding includes $150m for the Australian Border Force to increase staff and surveillance activities, while there will be $88m for the Australian Federal Police to investigate breaches of the visa conditions imposed on the detainees.
Ahead of the final House of Representatives sitting week for the year, major business and industry groups – including the Business Council of Australia, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Industry Group, Minerals Council of Australia and National Farmers Federation – voiced concerns there would not be adequate time for debate and proper examination of laws “which will impact the entire economy”.
The expected amendments to the Closing Loopholes Bill, which had been “hidden from the public”, to be released on Tuesday afternoon.
Government sources confirmed Labor wanted the amended legislation passed through the lower house this week.
“The government looks set to dump more than one hundred amendments into parliament this week as they seek to avoid proper public scrutiny by rushing their radical workplace relations changes through the House of Representatives in a matter of days,” the employer groups said.
“If the government proceeds with their plan to introduce these vast amendments, we call for an extension of the Senate Committee Report into the Fair Work Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill, so these hidden amendments can be adequately investigated and publicly scrutinised.
“The current policy will hit Australian businesses and workers with more costs and complexity right in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.”
Teal MPs said they were not being given enough time to consider an estimated 100 amendments. Wentworth MP Allegra Spender called for a lower house vote to be delayed until February.
“I am very concerned about this legislation and the wide-ranging ramifications on our economy, productivity and future employment,” Ms Spender said.
“The government is saying that its 100 amendments address some business concerns, but with such technical legislation, unless the passing of amendments is delayed until February, we won’t have a chance to properly understand the implications.”
Zoe Daniel, MP for the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, and Monique Ryan, the member for Kooyong, backed a push by independent senators Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock to split and prioritise the uncontroversial elements of the bill so they could become law this year.
They wanted more time to consider the rest of the legislation.
“The time frame is too short and as is too often the case there will not be enough time to consider the flood of amendments we are expecting,” Ms Daniel said.
Dr Ryan added: “Labor should give business and employees time to understand the proposed changes and provide feedback. The bill is too important and complex to rush.”
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the bill would get wages moving, and dismissed the push to delay a vote on the legislation.
“So certain business groups ask for delay, then ask for amendments and now say the amendments mean they need more delay. This would be much faster if they just paid people properly in the first place,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil on Monday will introduce legislation giving courts the power to strip dual-citizen terrorists of their Australian citizenship.
The High Court ruled it was unconstitutional for the minister to have that power, up-ending laws introduced by the Coalition.
“It is very clear that everything that we predicted and feared when Peter Dutton introduced these laws has, in fact, come true,” Mr Burke said on Sunday.
“Up until now, a minister has made these decisions. The High Court made clear that decision would need to be made by the court, so we need to change the law to make that happen.”
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the government had first promised to introduce legislation to fix the issue a year ago.
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