New Senate may push IR change

    by: Christian Kerr and Michael Owen
    From: The Australian
    June 10, 2013


TONY Abbott's workplace relations package could still pass the Senate, despite Greens opposition, if the Coalition wins the September poll, crossbencher Nick Xenophon has declared.      :o

Senator Xenophon, who faces a brutal battle with Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young to retain his South Australian position, believes the Coalition could come close to winning half the seats in the 76-member Senate and Bob Katter's star recruit, country singer James Blundell, stands a good chance of being elected in Queensland.     :(

If his predictions come true and he is returned, the Coalition could pass its policies with support from independents and minor parties.

ABC election analyst Antony Green endorsed the scenario.

"Tony Abbott needs an alternative path for legislation," he said. "There's a high likelihood in some states there will be minor parties elected."




Senator Xenophon indicated he could back workplace relations reform.

"We now have an industrial relations systems that is less flexible than that in the Hawke-Keating era, and that wouldn't be a bad benchmark to go back to," he told ABC television yesterday.

The Weekend Australian revealed on Saturday that the Greens would block the cornerstones of the Opposition Leader's workplace policy, including an assault on unions and increased criminal penalties for unlawful conduct.

Deputy leader Adam Bandt said the Greens, who will hold the balance of power in the Senate until at least July next year, would not support four key elements of the Coalition's workplace policy, including changes that would allow workers to trade off conditions, such as penalty rates, more easily.     :)

Senator Xenophon described penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sector as "a job killer" and warned about productivity issues. He also flagged he would be open to discussion on the carbon tax, saying the environmental benefits were "questionable".     :(

The popular former independent legislative councillor won a quota in his own right to be elected to the Senate in 2007, despite being grouped below the line on the ballot paper.

Senator Xenophon is forming his own party so he will be above the line on the ballot and voters only need to put a one next to his name, but despite these measures he described his mood as "cautiously pessimistic".

He fears the Greens will preference Labor over him, while Family First preferences and preferences from South Australia's small Nationals will flow straight to the Liberal Party.

Complex preference negotiations between a swarm of micro-parties and independent candidates are under way nationally.

Senator Xenophon warned his rivals against "cynical and unprincipled preference deals that will come out in the course of an election campaign and that will damage their reputations".

Senator Hanson-Young fired the first salvo in a television election campaign war last night with a commercial featuring a caricature of the Opposition Leader cutting services and imploring voters to allow the minor party to keep an eye on him.

She said her seat was "crucial" for the Coalition's bid to control both houses and warned Mr Abbott was "coming to get her".

"If we, as the polls are showing, have a Tony Abbott prime minister then we need to make sure there is a good check on his power in the parliament," she said.

Once again the question must be asked, so people know who to vote for.  Mr Abbott, will people get to keep their over time and weekend penalty rates?.      :( 

Penalty rates have to go.  They are a blast from the past.

No good having penalty rates if you haven't got a job.

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 9:25am:

Senator Xenophon, who faces a brutal battle with Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young to retain his South Australian position, believes the Coalition could come close to winning half the seats in the 76-member Senate and Bob Katter's star recruit, country singer James Blundell, stands a good chance of being elected in Queensland.     :(

What the hell is wrong with James Blundell, a damn sight better than the resident loon we got from the greens last election.


Useless b1tch, hasn't done anything, not worth the money we pay for her; so a typical greens senator.

Penalty rates have to go.  They are a blast from the past.
Will Mr Abbott take that to the election, so we know who to vote for?.     :-?    

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:01am:

Penalty rates have to go.  They are a blast from the past.Will Mr Abbott take that to the election, so we know who to vote for?.     :-?

At last, imcro, you're showing some sense...

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:01am:

Penalty rates have to go.  They are a blast from the past. Will Mr Abbott take that to the election, so we know who to vote for?.     :-?

Yes Abbott will say "there will be no scrapping of compulsory penalty rates under a Govt I lead"

....and you can be reassured that he won't...Just like Juliar... :D ;D

At last, imcro, you're showing some sense...  Yes, it looks like Mr Abbott will not spell it out.  So one must assume penalty rates will go.  Oh well, looks like Mr Abbott doesn't get the vote.     :)   

As we all knew anyway now Xenophon had declared that he really is a Liberal at heart. Keen to destroy workers rights.

Or is he just blowing in the wind again?

Wonder what removing penalty rates would do to our economy with so many jobs that nobody will take and so many more on benifits.

It's common sense.

Why does everything have to boil down to Liberal or Labor?

I'm no Liberal and I'm no Labor.

But we live in a global economy, we need competitive advantage, we need fluid head count costs.

Penalty rates are outdated. They belong back in the dark days of the 1970s.

IR has to move with the times.

Set penalty rates are obsolete.

Paying penalty rates in an economy with increasing unemployment is ridiculous.

If you want people to work weekends, you pay your penalty rates.     :(    

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:37am:

It's common sense. Why does everything have to boil down to Liberal or Labor? I'm no Liberal and I'm no Labor. But we live in a global economy, we need competitive advantage, we need fluid head count costs. Penalty rates are outdated. They belong back in the dark days of the 1970s.

Penalty rates are a sensible way of applying an appropriate market rate to hours with intrinsically more value to both the employer and employee.

2pm simply does not have the same market value in dollar terms as 2 am.

2am in Australia is 5pm in London and midday in New York City.

This is a global market economy now. It's the beauty of the market capitalist system, we all compete now in a more aligned market and its much better than 40 years ago when it was all just about domestic market demands.

I'm a walking example you don't need penalty rates to work different hours or weekends.
I sat on a call at 1am for me because I needed to work in with teams in Sydney.

It's just the way it is. Move out if the dark ages dinosaurs!!

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:41am:

If you want people to work weekends, you pay your penalty rates.     :(

Yes if you can't get enough people to work for you on weekends you offer more pay (that's a market) but you don't just pay everyone 50% - $100% more across the board just because it's a weekend, that's inefficient, retards enterprise and adds to unemployment.

Dnarever wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:42am:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 10th, 2013 at 10:37am: It's common sense. Why does everything have to boil down to Liberal or Labor? I'm no Liberal and I'm no Labor. But we live in a global economy, we need competitive advantage, we need fluid head count costs. Penalty rates are outdated. They belong back in the dark days of the 1970s. Penalty rates are a sensible way of applying an appropriate market rate to hours with intrinsically more value to both the employer and employee. 2pm simply does not have the same market value in dollar terms as 2 am.

Unless you have people lining up to do the work and willing to do it without penalty rates.

Yes we do need the penalty rates to work those hours.  No penalty rates.  Sorry no can work those hours.     :)   

Swaggie's so opposed to the lowest-paid or the unemployed getting
a fair rate of pay/'benefit' that he just HAS to be an employer.

Can't think of any other reason for it.

I cant see the unions supporting no penalty rates.  With or without an Abbott government.     :)   

Swagman wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 10:54am:

Dnarever wrote on Jun 10th, 2013 at 10:42am: Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 10th, 2013 at 10:37am: It's common sense. Why does everything have to boil down to Liberal or Labor? I'm no Liberal and I'm no Labor. But we live in a global economy, we need competitive advantage, we need fluid head count costs. Penalty rates are outdated. They belong back in the dark days of the 1970s. Penalty rates are a sensible way of applying an appropriate market rate to hours with intrinsically more value to both the employer and employee. 2pm simply does not have the same market value in dollar terms as 2 am. Unless you have people lining up to do the work and willing to do it without penalty rates.

You won't have people lining up - the belief is that enough people will have no choice and desperate enough to be forced to accept it.

Kat wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 11:00am:

Swaggie's so opposed to the lowest-paid or the unemployed getting a fair rate of pay/'benefit' that he just HAS to be an employer. Can't think of any other reason for it.

Nope, I wouldn't be one.  There's too much against being one and that would apply to many, and what does that say?

Employment is (well should be) a market.

If a business makes a lot more money on weekends such as a pub or a club but can't attract enough employees to work during those hours then that business will pay more to attract them.

Common sense.

You tell me why pay 10 people double time when 10 people may be sitting around unemployed when 20 people could be employed?  :(

Then we will get the job done Monday to Friday.     :)   

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 11:14am:

Then we will get the job done Monday to Friday.     :)

Exactly the mentality that has seen the death of the manufacturing industry in Australia.

Swagman wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 11:11am:

Kat wrote on Jun 10th, 2013 at 11:00am: Swaggie's so opposed to the lowest-paid or the unemployed getting a fair rate of pay/'benefit' that he just HAS to be an employer. Can't think of any other reason for it. Nope, I wouldn't be one.  There's too much against being one and that would apply to many, and what does that say? Employment is (well should be) a market. If a business makes a lot more money on weekends such as a pub or a club but can't attract enough employees to work during those hours then that business will pay more to attract them. Common sense. You tell me why pay 10 people double time when 10 people may be sitting around unemployed when 20 people could be employed?  :(

You tell me why pay 10 people double time when 10 people may be sitting around unemployed when 20 people could be employed?

Because you only need 10 people, the additional money would go into your pocket - that is the idea driving this. More money in the employers pocket and Less in the employees.

wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 11:14am:

Then we will get the job done Monday to Friday.     :)

And everything closes for the weekend?

Well that's up to the employer.     :) 

Dnarever wrote on Jun 10^th, 2013 at 12:05pm:

Because you only need 10 people, the additional money would go into your pocket - that is the idea driving this. More money in the employers pocket and Less in the employees

Depends on the business.  In manufacturing working at night or weekends makes effall difference to productivity.  Penalty rates just add to production costs without adding to production items making the industry less competitive.

Eventually the business closes due to losses and nobody has a job and nobody gets penalty rates.  Great outcome hey... ::)

This is Labor's and Unions' legacy to Australia.  No good throwing money at schools and disability schemes when you have no industries and no jobs.

Depends on the business.  In manufacturing working at night or weekends makes effall difference to productivity.  Then we will get the job done Monday to Friday.     :)