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

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (18:48): I'm pleased to see that at least one member of the coalition is embracing the fact that the government held a productivity roundtable. Senator Kovacic obviously attaches quite a lot of importance to the productivity roundtable. Unfortunately, the shadow Treasurer didn't seem to think so, and I think multiple coalition figures—probably including the ones sitting up the back there—talked about it being a talkfest.

Good on you for seeing the benefit of bringing different views together. It's a bit like how there's been a conversion on work from home from some members—although not from the member for Goldstein, who regards it as apartheid, given the remarks he made in the media recently. Some people have got a little bit of learning to do, including about modern history.

Be that as it may, there is no evidence whatsoever that cutting people's wages delivers higher productivity growth. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary; it's called the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government.