Vision has emerged of Bill Shorten tearing apart the Greens' election proposal to disregard an independent ruling and try to legislate for penalty rates.
During last year's election campaign the opposition leader aimed to distance Labor from the Greens party, which was suggesting that penalty rates should be legislated regardless of the (then) impending decision by the independent Fair Work Commission (FWC).
During a press conference Shorten labelled the Greens' proposal "a sideshow position" as it would be "loading the gun" for future conservative governments.
I do also just caution the Greens from their sideshow position. That they need to be careful, that they are playing with fire with what they are proposing – that a government should be able to legislate on specific penalty rate outcomes. They are loading the gun for a future conservative government to pull the trigger because what the government has the power to put in, a future government has the power to dismantle. The independent umpire, the system of conciliation and arbitration, has served this nation well for 120 years.
At the same press conference Shorten said: "I have absolute confidence... that we will win the argument [in the FWC] to protect the penalty rates system in Australia."
Last week the FWC cut the penalty rates of more than 600,000 retail and hospitality workers.
It took days for Shorten to switch positions and forcefully argue for the need to legislate penalty rates.
I have just given notice to introduce legislation to protect penalty rates. Labor will stand up for workers - Turnb… https://t.co/usZj4bZel4
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