The government has been accused of attempting to stifle debate on its workplace reforms by pushing to pass laws on the issue before the end of the year.
Debate will continue in the House of Representatives on Wednesday on changes to industrial relations, which would see multi-employer bargaining rolled out and workers in feminised industries better protected.
However, independent and crossbench MPs have criticised the government for trying to rush the bill through parliament without enough time to consider the issue.
A vote in the lower house is expected to be held on Thursday before the bill moves to the Senate, but it will have just two sitting weeks to consider the changes before parliament rises for the year.
Independent MP Allegra Spender said the workplace changes needed proper oversight so businesses could understand the extent of the changes.
“Government legislation needs scrutiny and input from stakeholders from right across the spectrum, without it, we’re going to repeat the mistakes of the past,” she told parliament.
“It really troubles me that this bill is going to have a huge impact on thousands of smaller businesses around Australia, but most of them aren’t aware that it’s coming.”
Ms Spender called for the government to split the bill so non-contentious elements can pass while other proposals, such as multi-employer bargaining can be considered in greater detail.
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has insisted the legislation is urgent in order to get stagnant wages moving as soon as possible.
Further amendments to the bill are expected to be debated, with more likely to be considered once a Senate report into the proposed laws is handed down later this month.
“The current bargaining system will not deliver pay equity and the rules they need to be changed,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the coalition would fight the laws, saying the reforms would take industrial relations backwards.
“The government said it would support workers and that it would work to support all Australians – instead, it will sacrifice them at the altar of unionism,” he told parliament on Tuesday.
“In its current form, it will impose the most radical changes on Australia’s industrial relations system in decades, changes which will complicate the system, create conflict in workplaces and cause delays.”
Negotiations are still ongoing with crossbench members of the upper house, with independent David Pocock saying he has yet to make up his mind on supporting the bill.
“I’m not here to be a rubber stamp, I’m here to work constructively and to ensure that we get this right and to ensure that we have enough time to get this legislation right,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Labor will need the Greens plus one crossbench senator to pass the bill.
Senator Pocock said more time was needed to consider all the elements of the legislation.
“I put to the Senate that we need to consider adding more (sitting) days, but that’s up to the government, they set the schedule,” he said.
© AAP 2022
