Chaos in Federal Parliament in the wake of the dual citizenship saga has opened the door to legislation that would overturn the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rate reductions. The Turnbull Government has decided to suspend parliament this week amid the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage in the Senate and the real possibility that its lack of a majority could see it lose control of its agenda. Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said that the House of Representatives will now resume on 4
December rather than 27 November, but over the weekend, Nationals MP George Christensen wrote to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, threatening to cause “political damage” over penalty rates when sitting resumes.
His support for Labor’s push to roll back the cuts could turn the tables on the Coalition, which has lost its majority over the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Bennelong MP John Alexander, who are both contesting by-elections after exiting under citizenship clouds.
Christensen crossed the floor to support an attempt to pass the amendment in June, but the move was narrowly defeated 73-72.
The Coalition’s decision to suspend sitting this week has also pushed back its legislative agenda, including its next round of company tax cuts, which given the importance of same-sex marriage and impending high-court referrals for MPs, is now likely to be postponed to next year.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten took to Twitter to condemn the Government’s decision to suspend the Lower House, later labelling the Prime Minister a “coward” in a press conference.
“Turnbull is running scared from the Parliament. If you can’t run the Parliament, you can’t run the country,” Shorten tweeted.
Shorten said the Labor Party will “show up to work” on Monday, arguing that Parliament isn’t Turnbull’s “plaything”.
Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman, who has overseen an extensive campaign in favour of penalty rate cuts, is concerned about the prospect that Parliament may overturn the FWC’s decision, imploring MPs to respect the independent umpire.
“The decision has been made by the full bench of Fair Work and that same decision was ratified by a full bench of the Federal Court,” Zimmerman said.
“Nobody should have the right to overturn that decision…I don’t believe it’s in the Government’s remit to do it.”
Zimmerman said the ARA is undertaking discussion with Coalition and opposition members ahead of December, but declined to comment on whether there had been any inroads on securing any assurances over the prospective vote.
The Bill itself, which was introduced as a private member’s bill after the FWC’s cuts in May, would not only make any penalty rate related decision made by the FWC on or after 22 February redundant, but would also enshrine protection for penalty rates in law.
Compounding concern is the prospect that John Alexander may lose the 16 December vote in Bennelong to Labor candidate and former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, thus potentially forcing the Turnbull Government into a precarious position moving forward.