Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (18:20): I don't think we do risk freezing modern awards. There are provisions which remain in place for modern awards to be varied on the application of a party. What we are saying as a community—and the Australian people agreed when they voted for this policy—is that penalty rates are special and deserve to be protected.