MEDIA RELEASE - LABOR MUST NOT GAG DEBATE ON IR BILL IN THE HOUSE

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 3 November 2022

LABOR MUST NOT GAG DEBATE ON IR BILL IN THE HOUSE

It is vital there is proper scrutiny of and debate about Labor’s industrial relations bill (the so called ‘Fair Work, Fair Pay Bill’) in the House of Representatives, Manager of Opposition Business, Paul Fletcher said today.

“Labor must not use its gag powers to rush this Bill through the House,” Mr Fletcher said.

“This Bill proposes the most radical shake-up of Australia’s industrial relations system in decades.  

“The House of Representatives must be allowed to do its job and properly scrutinise this Bill. 

“Too often in this Parliament we have seen the Albanese Labor Government use its numbers to gag debate and force Bills to a vote before they have been properly considered.

“Mr Albanese promised a new kind of politics with more transparency and accountability - but instead his government has repeatedly used its numbers to sidestep normal parliamentary processes.

“I call on Mr Albanese and Labor to make a clear commitment that they will not impose a gag on normal debate on this Bill. 

“It is not good enough to say there is a Senate Committee to examine this Bill and so it does not matter what happens in the House of Representatives.

“This Bill goes for nearly 250 pages - and both Houses of Parliament must be allowed to do their job, properly examine it and to debate its provisions.

“Many Australians will rightly be suspicious that Labor’s proposed radical changes to the industrial relations system will mean more strikes, more industrial chaos and more power for union bosses.

“That suspicion will only be increased if Labor seeks to avoid proper scrutiny by using its numbers to force this Bill through the House of Representatives,” Mr Fletcher said.