Page 4097 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 24 November 1993
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The situation now and for the foreseeable future is, therefore, that all ACT employees who are employed under awards are covered by awards of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Accordingly, enforcement of award conditions, and the formal processes for the resolution of industrial disputes, generally fall within the Commonwealth's sphere of responsibility. Amendments to the Industrial Relations Act therefore have direct consequences for the conduct of industrial relations in the ACT. Accordingly, it was essential that there was consultation between the Federal Minister and me regarding his proposed legislation changes. The Labour Ministers conferences in April and October this year provided forums for that consultation.
Madam Speaker, let me now inform the Assembly briefly how the draft legislation, which was discussed at the Labour Ministers conference and which has now been introduced into the Federal Parliament, met the concerns which I had previously expressed on behalf of the ACT Government. The Bill provides for continued protection of workers by awards. Under the legislation, the commission is charged with ensuring that secure, relevant and consistent awards are provided. Thus the awards framework will be maintained as an effective safety net to underpin enterprise bargaining. The Bill provides for an award safety net stream and a direct bargaining stream, to be separately administered by the commission. However, the application of the no disadvantage test to certified agreements will ensure that awards remain as benchmarks for the certification and approval of agreements reached through direct bargaining.
The Bill seeks to extend access to enterprise bargaining to all workers within the coverage of Federal awards. In support of this objective, the Bill provides the security of minimum standards as regards minimum pay, equal pay, termination arrangements and parental leave, based on Australia's international obligations pursuant to ratified ILO conventions. This contrasts with what was proposed by the Liberals before the last Federal election. What they proposed to do was to undermine all of those protections for Australian workers and, of course, drive their wages and conditions down.
Mr De Domenico: That is rubbish. It is not true. Just stick to the script. It was all right until then.
MR BERRY: I thought it was a bit mundane. We needed to liven you up a little bit.
Mr De Domenico: No; it was truthful until you started saying what you just said.
MR BERRY: I think you might have to withdraw that.
Mr De Domenico: No; I said that the script was truthful until you started saying what you said. You had gone away from the script.
MR BERRY: That is an imputation that I - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, if you said that you are imputing that Mr Berry was being untruthful.
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