Stirling Griff to support Scott Morrison’s JobKeeper 2.0 package, IR flexibility changes

Scott Morrison has secured a key Senate vote for his JobKeeper 2.0 package and controversial bid to extend emergency industrial relations change.

Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff will back JobKeeper 2.0 and associated changes to the Fair Work Act, which make it easier for employers to direct employees to work less hours or change duties. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Scott Morrison has secured a key Senate vote for his JobKeeper 2.0 package and his bid to extend emergency industrial relations changes, after Centre Alliance locked in its support and One Nat­ion said it was “sympathetic” to struggling businesses requiring workplace flexibility.

While Labor and the Greens are set to fight the expansion of the temporary IR changes — which make it easier to direct an employee to work less, take leave or change duties — the government’s chances of passing the measures within a fortnight have been bolstered by growing support from the crossbench.

One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts was inclined to support the extension because it was not practical to “chop and change in mid-course”.

Centre Alliance senator Stirling Griff said it was appropriate emergency powers continued until the COVID-19 pandemic ended. “Just because (government) incentives are being scaled back doesn’t mean to say that the survival needs of your business automatically need to be scaled back as well,” Senator Griff told The Australian.

“It’s being able to reallocate a job function elsewhere and adjust hours — they are all key things that help you manage your business through the pandemic.”

The Morrison government will introduce the JobKeeper 2.0 legislation, which will see fortnightly payments reduced from $1500 to $1200 from September 28, and the IR provisions this week. Employees who work fewer than 20 hours a week will be paid $750.

After this fortnight, parliament will not sit again until the budget delivery on October 6.

The Australian understands the government is looking at extending the IR flexibility provisions for businesses that were eligible under JobKeeper 1.0 but will not qualify for JobKeeper 2.0, if they can demonstrate they’re in some form of ongoing distress.

The government hasn’t indicated what threshold the companies will need to meet. They will have access to slightly different IR provisions than the companies receiving JobKeeper 2.0 payments.

With the support of Senator Griff and, most likely, Senator Roberts, the government will need just one more Senate crossbench vote to pass JobKeeper 2.0 and extend for another six months the associated changes to the Fair Work Act.

Josh Frydenberg said failure to pass the legislation “will put our economic recovery and jobs at risk”.

“The temporary JobKeeper provisions in the Fair Work Act have provided essential flexibility that has been vital for struggling businesses to survive the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and keep their employees in jobs,” the Treasurer said.

“While this support will be essential for businesses that remain eligible for JobKeeper, greater workplace flexibility will also be vitally important for many business that no longer qualify for JobKeeper post-September, allowing them to keep as many of their employees as possible as they continue to recover from the worst of the crisis.”

Labor frontbenchers have called for the rate of JobKeeper to remain at $1500 but a final position on the second package has not been made.

Opposition IR spokesman Tony Burke accused the Prime Minister of wanting to “make it easier for workers to lose their pay, hours and rights”.

“The government still hasn’t explained why a business doing well enough to lose all taxpayer support should be able to take away the job security of their workers,” Mr Burke said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s spokesman said the party would continue talking to the ACTU about their concerns over the IR extension but was sympathetic to the stand down directions because they would help employers trying to stay afloat.

Independent South Australian senator Rex Patrick, who has split from Centre Alliance, said he would consider whether to extend the emergency IR powers “in a pragmatic way that balances out the rights of workers and the needs of employers”.