QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Senator WALSH (Victoria—Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth) (15:40): We're hearing from those obstacles right now. The biggest obstacle is all those opposite, who always oppose higher wages for young Australians. Everybody knows what young people got from the coalition government.
They spent a decade deliberately keeping wages low—and they were proud of it. One Nation are cut from the same cloth. They don't back young workers either.
They opposed increases to the minimum wage. They want to scrap penalty rates. They want to make it easier to sack workers—and we know who goes first; it's young workers.
They tried to block better job security for casuals. They voted against— Senator Hume interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Walsh, resume your seat. Withdraw that, Senator Hume.
Senator Hume: You can't just make stuff up. The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume! Senator Hume: But they're making stuff up.
The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume— Senator Hume: I withdraw. The PRESIDENT: resume your seat. Senator Hume: I withdraw.
The PRESIDENT: No, you do not sit in your seat and withdraw; you stand up. Senator Hume: I've withdrawn twice. The PRESIDENT: No, you haven't withdrawn twice.
Senator Hume interjecting— The PRESIDENT: No, I'm running the chamber, Senator Hume, not you. Senator Ayres, resume your seat. I'm going to remind those across the chamber: if you make a remark, which is disorderly, you withdraw it respectfully.
You don't add to it. You don't make comment. You simply stand up and withdraw, and you do that when I ask.
Senator Hume, please withdraw. Senator Hume: I withdraw. The PRESIDENT: Thank you.
Senator Walsh. Senator WALSH: I was talking about One Nation. Senator Hume may want to run protection for One Nation because they are really two sides of the same coin.
They all oppose higher wages for young workers. One Nation oppose better protections for gig workers. They oppose making wage theft a crime.
They oppose better job security for casuals. On this side of the chamber— (Time expired)