Q&A: Politicians' entitlements and penalty rate cuts in the spotlight
Posted
Penalty rates and politicians' entitlements were hot topics on Monday's Q&A as the panel show hit the road and broadcast from Melbourne this week.
The two subjects were in the spotlight over the past week and understandably drew the most focus from the panellists.
Labor MP and the Oppositition's spokesman for justice Clare O'Neil was questioned first over MP entitlements, asked what changes could happen to restore the public's trust.
"We need to sort out the entitlements issue, we need to sort out the public expenditure of money, we need to sort out how politicians fundraise," Ms O'Neil said, but added there were bigger issues that needed to be sorted out.
"I think there's a lot of changes we need to make to our parliament to try and bring people into the decision-making process more."
Host Tony Jones also asked Ms O'Neil about the entitlements scandal that saw Victoria's Speaker and Deputy Speaker resign following revelations they claimed parliamentary living allowances for second residences.
"Maybe it is a cultural problem that politicians have got these, you know when you've been around for a long time, maybe you just absorb this feeling that you are entitled to do all these things — I don't really know what was at the heart," she said.
"But there is one very obvious point … and that is that the system needs to change. We can't continue like this."
Liberal Senator Scott Ryan, the Special Minister of State, said the Turnbull Government was already taking action to restore public trust, pointing to the removal of politicians' lifetime gold-pass for travel and the establishment of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
"It will report monthly so that you don't wait six months to find who has been going where," Senator Ryan said.
"It is critical to do this to reinstitute public trust."
Former Abbott government advisor Ted Lapkin said transparency was the key.
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant," Mr Lapkin said.
Should workers be compensated for the penalty rate cut?
The Fair Work Commission's decision late last week to reduce Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for workers in the hospitality, retail and fast-food industries was another issue covered, with an audience member asking how the government would support people losing income from the cuts.
Senator Ryan said while it is a loss for some, the FWC said tens of thousands of new jobs will be created by an increase in the ability for employers to have more staff on.
"If you particularly go to regional areas where you might see a little strip of shops, penalty rates have been keeping some of those cafes and places like that closed," he said.
"We will see increased employment opportunities."
Senator Ryan also pointed out the fact Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had helped set up the Fair Work Commission during his time as workplace minister.
"The government is standing by the umpire, and if we don't want the umpire making these decisions, do we really want politicians doing it?" he said.
"Bill Shorten is trying to create fake outrage here, rather than the outcome that he designed, his appointees deliver."
Ms O'Neil said Senator Ryan was explaining the process rather than talking about the substance of the changes.
"The question the Government needs to tell us the answer to is does it support this decision and what is it going to do about it," she said.
"Labor has a clear approach to this — the commission made a bad decision, a decision that was not in line with Australian values."
Ms O'Neil also attempted to clarify Mr Shorten's comments that he would accept the decision of the independent umpire he had helped set up.
"Bill made those comments when the assumption in this discussion was that the commission was not going down the path of putting these people further back than they already are.
"The Fair Work Commission has done something that was unexpected and completely unacceptable to us as Labor people."
Mr Lapkin said the move was a win for small businesses.
"I think we should spare a few thoughts for the small business owners of Australia, and the issue of penalty rates in some cases is a real burden to small businesses," he said.
"Small businesses are where a large majority of the new jobs that are created — and to the extent that we can make it easier for people to start businesses, to generate economic activity … then it will result in more jobs."
Philosopher and ethicist Peter Singer said he sympathised with the lowest paid people being worse off but the country needed to move on from Sunday being seen as a day of rest.
"Couldn't that be fixed by adjustments in the minimum wage so that everybody, whether they work Sunday or not, ends up being better off?" he said.
"That seems to be the more sensible option."
Topics: government-and-politics, business-economics-and-finance, work, television, melbourne-3000, australia
