In the News
The Coalition’s Policy to
Improve the Fair Work Laws will improve the prospects of higher real wages
for Australian workers, lift standards of behaviour in trade unions, make it
easier for small business to employ people and lift Australia’s productive
capacity.
Our policy is part of the
Coalition’s Real Solutions Plan to create one million more jobs, lift real
wages and have more competitive Australian businesses.
All Australians want harmonious,
productive and smart workplaces where effort is rewarded, loyalty is encouraged
and where businesses and their employees share in the success of the
enterprise.
We want to see the take home
wages of Australian workers increase, just like they did under the last
Coalition government. From 1997 to 2007, average real wages grew by 21.5
per cent.
Under our policy, no Australian
worker will be worse off and businesses will be encouraged to grow.
The priority of our Real
Solutions Plan is to build a stronger, more productive and diverse economy that
delivers more jobs, higher wages and better services for all Australians.
That is why we can say with certainty: No Australian worker or business will go
backwards because of this policy.
This policy will, however, make
life more difficult for militant building unions and dishonest union officials
who continue to abuse their position. We make no apology for
that. Australians have seen enough from the excesses of the Health
Services Union and allegations surrounding the AWU to know something is very
wrong with the standards and culture of some important national unions. We know
that those who profit from such abuses will fight against these common sense
changes.
The Coalition’s Policy to Improve
the Fair Work Laws will:
· Keep
and improve the Fair Work laws – including the independent umpire
· Re-establish
the Australian Building and Construction Commission
· Provide
better protection for members of Registered Organisations
· Provide
practical help to small business workplaces
· Guarantee
workers the right to access fair flexibility
· Create
realistic timeframes for Greenfield agreements
· Ensure
union right of entry provisions are sensible and fair
· Promote
harmonious, sensible and productive enterprise bargaining
· Ensure
the laws work for everyone and an independent review by the respected
Productivity Commission will be undertaken
· Deliver
a genuine paid parental leave scheme and lift female participation rates in
Australian workplaces
· Ensure
workplace bullying is comprehensively addressed
· Urgently
review the Remuneration Tribunal for the trucking industry
· Implement
many recommendations from the Fair Work Review Panel report
· Give
underpaid workers a better deal.
Our policy will not
re-introduce Australian Workplace Agreements, nor will it weaken safety nets or
cause any Australian worker to go backwards. There won’t be another WorkChoices
– it is dead, buried and cremated. The past is the past and we will not
go back to it.
Our policy seeks to improve the
current Fair Work laws by providing common sense solutions to practical
problems such as ensuring right of entry provisions are sensible and not
abused, providing practical help to small businesses within the Office of the
Fair Work Ombudsman and tackling lawlessness on building sites and construction
projects by re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
These sensible and common sense
measures will address the flexibility, militancy and productivity problems that
exist within the operation of the current system. Our changes are about
helping our workplace relations system work better.
Unlike Labor, who say one thing
before an election and do another thing after it, we will keep our word.
We will not deliver less than our policy and we will go no further. If
elected, these are the only changes that an incoming government will make in a
first term.
The centrepiece of our economic
agenda is to create one million new jobs within five years and two million jobs
within ten years. We will achieve this aim through dynamic, harmonious
and productive workplaces where employers and employees share the benefits of
growth.
It is through our commitment to
deliver stronger workplaces, lower taxes and more efficient government that the
next Coalition government will deliver a strong, prosperous economy and a safe,
secure Australia.
Monday, 5th August 2013
Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP,
said the election is a clear choice between more of the same from Labor and
real change from the Coalition.
“The choice between the major parties could
not be clearer”, said Alex Hawke.
“At this election, the Coalition offers
strong, experienced and stable government, a stronger economy, stronger
borders, a stronger Australia and a better future – for all Australians.
“Labor is offering just more of the same:
more talk, more chaos, more division, more debt, more deficits and more taxes.
“Only the Coalition can form the strong,
stable government to deliver a stronger economy with more jobs, real help for
families and small business, lower taxes and secure borders.
“We are getting a positive response in
Mitchell and throughout Australia – people want a government that can deliver
more jobs and a stronger economy.
Alex Hawke said the Real Solutions Plan lays
down 10 clear actions that we will take which will make our country stronger
and families more secure:
- We will
build a stronger, more diverse economy with lower taxes, less waste. - We will
get the Budget back under control - Help
families get ahead by freeing them from the carbon tax - Help
small businesses grow by reducing business costs - Build a
Five-Pillar economy - Generate
one million new jobs over the next five years and two million new jobs
within 10 years - Build
more modern infrastructure to get things moving - Deliver
better health and education services – with local communities in charge - Build a
15,000-strong Green Army to clean-up the environment - The
boats will stop – with tough, proven measures not talk from proven boat
failures.
Alex Hawke said he will be campaigning every
day between now and the election on the positive choice offered by the
Coalition at this election.
“The Coalition is ready nationally and I am
ready locally to fight an election and speak about our real solutions plan for
the future. In particular, locally I will be working for a stronger
economy focussed on reducing the substantial burdens from Government on small
and medium businesses that make up the backbone of our community,” concluded
Alex Hawke.
Last week, I was pleased to join with local dignitaries at the launch of the Small Business Summit Greater Western Sydney, organised by the Sydney Hills Business Chamber. This fantastic event, to be held on Wednesday, 14th August, 2013 at the Hillsong Convention Centre, will bring together people from all avenues of business, public service and government from across 16 chambers of commerce. Topics of discussion will include government plans that affect growth in the region, obstacles to doing business in GWS and forms of support available to small business in Western Sydney. Tickets can be purchased online. Be sure to book soon to secure your seat!
By contrast, the Rudd-Gillard Government’s attack on fringe benefits tax (FBT) will result in an increased regulatory burden on small business and place increased pressure on families across Western Sydney. It is estimated that this blatant tax grab will hit those with a car as part of their salary package on average by $1,400 a year. If you are a sales rep with a company car, a nurse or a teacher with a salary-packaged vehicle then this decision is bad news for you and your family. Small business is carrying much of the burden of 21,000 new regulations as well as the carbon tax and these changes to FBT have come at the worst possible time. The Coalition will not proceed with these changes if elected because we understand the huge cost of living pressures affecting families and businesses across the nation
Alex Hawke
MP, Federal Member for Mitchell said the Coalition did not support Labor’s $1.8
billion hit on the car industry.
“This tax
hike will cost thousands of local families an average of $1,400 per year”, said
Alex Hawke MP.
“It has been
estimated that 75 per cent of drivers with salary packaged vehicles earn less
than $100,000 – so this is another hit on families.
“The
policies of the Rudd-Gillard Government have put enormous pressure on families.
“There’s
been the carbon tax, the changes to the private health insurance rebate, the
increased superannuation taxes, the increased child care costs, the loss of
promised family payments and now changes to the arrangements for the FBT on
cars.
“If you are
a sales rep with a company car, a nurse or a teacher with a salary-packaged
vehicle then this decision is bad news for you and your family.
“As the
Member of Parliament who represents the most families in the country, these
changes greatly concern me because of the significant impact it will have on
members of our local community.”
Alex Hawke
said he promised that if elected, a Coalition government will not proceed with
these changes.
“Once again,
this is another Kevin Rudd rush-job. This is a rushed decision that won’t just
hit families; it will also damage the economy, particularly those in the car
industry.
“It is
estimated that 35 per cent of all salary packaged vehicles are made by local
manufacturers Toyota, Ford and Holden.
“Mr Rudd is
all talk and no action, but when he finally does act he ends up destroying
people’s jobs.”
Alex Hawke
said the changes also meant more red tape for small businesses and an impact on
small businesses.
“Small
business is carrying much of the burden of 21,000 new regulations as well as
the carbon tax and this decision has come at the worst possible time.”
Alex Hawke
said this is another decision by a government that does not understand the
pressures on families, does not understand the pressures on small businesses
and that is making it up as they go along.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Alex Hawke
MP, Federal Member for Mitchell says the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has misled
the parliament on funding arrangements for the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ case on the
Constitutional Recognition of Local Government referendum.
“In his
second reading summation, the Attorney-General made direct reference to my
speech, claiming that I had stated an untruth in the House. Actually, it is
that remark from the Attorney-General which is an untruth.”
In his
speech, the Attorney-General stated;
“The member for Mitchell also made the claim during
debate that the government has committed $21.6 million to a campaign to support
the yes vote at the referendum. This is simply not true. What the government
has committed to—and this is set out in the budget papers—is $10 million to fund a neutral,
non-partisan civics education campaign.”
That campaign will provide the community with
information about the Constitution and the process for considering any change
in the roles of the Commonwealth, the states and local government, and about
the terms of the proposed alteration. This
education campaign will not advocate either a yes vote or a no vote but will
help ensure electors are aware of the issue and in a position to make an
informed vote. (House of Representatives Hansard, 5th
June, 2013 – Page 93)
Today, Minister for Local Government Albanese
announced that the $10 million allocated for that neutral, non-partisan
civics education campaign but would be allocated to the ‘Yes’ case based on the
vote in parliament last week;
The amount of funding to be provided for each case will reflect
the proportion of Members that voted for and against the Constitution
Alteration (Local Government) Amendment Bill 2013. Over 98 per cent voted for and less than 2
per cent voted against this bill. Accordingly,
$10 million will be provided to the Australian Local Government Association
(ALGA) to assist it in its promotion of the ‘Yes’ case. (Minister Albanese release – 17th
June, 2013 - http://anthonyalbanese.com.au/funding-provided-to-promote-public-debate-about-constitutional-change)
While the ‘No’ case would attract less on a strictly proportional
basis, the Government will provide up to $500,000 to proponents of the ‘No’
case. The two Members who voted against the bill will be asked to determine the
distribution of this funding.
At the last
referendum in 1997, both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases received $7 million each so
each side could make their case on a fair footing.
“Clearly,
the government is trying to buy the outcome of this referendum. Once again, the
government is guilty of announcing one thing and then doing another. Other
members of the House may have voted differently had they had known their vote
would determine the funding for the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases.
“What needs
to happen is the Attorney-General needs to come into the House and apologise to
the Parliament and the Australian people for misleading them in this way. It is
unacceptable that on an issue as important as Constitutional Recognition that
the Attorney-General should be able to mislead the Australian people.” Alex
Hawke concluded.