The penny has dropped
At long last, the penny has dropped at the ALP-led Fair Work Commission (FWC) and they have realised that small business cannot afford to pay ridiculous penalty rates on weekends and public holidays. Let’s make sure we understand that this only affects small businesses.
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So Bungalow Bill Shorten blows up and trots out an ALP/union stooge Trent Hunter to tell the world how badly he will be affected by the penalty rate changes. $109 per week, Trent say he will lose. But Trent turns out to be working for a big supermarket working under a negotiated Enterprise Bargaining Agreement between the unions and the employer that sets the pay rates. Pants on fire, Bill. Trent is not affected at all.
The FWC was established by the ALP government in 2009 with the current chair, Justice Ian J.K. Ross AO, appointed by the ALP. But despite the ALP saying they would support the decisions of the FWC, the unions and the ALP are now going to block the changes. Gee. Who can we believe? What they meant to say was they will support stuff they agree with, not necessarily the decision of their appointed umpire the FWC.
Bill should start listening to some wiser men than he. People like Martin Ferguson AM, former ACTU leader and minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments who sees this change as good for all. And of course Mark Latham, former ALP leader, agreed with Jeff Kennett AC that the FWC should have gone further and abolished penalty rates altogether. They agreed that we live in a brave new world, not the prehistoric world of the unions and the ALP.
Of course, local ALP and ex-Senator Ursula Stephens all think it’s the end of the world as we know it. My guess is that they would not know what the pay rates are anyway, because they have never had to pay them out of their pockets.
But one of the problems for small business is getting people to work through the week. They all want the weekend work. Same hours, but high penalty rates. So, of course, the small business owners work the weekends because staff are too expensive.
I acknowledge the difficulty in removing a lolly from a child. Employees get used to the exorbitant penalty rates on weekends and public holidays so naturally they do not want to lose them. This is, again, the unions and the ALP trying to justify their existence by fighting against decisions that actually generate more jobs.
Grant Pearce, Goulburn; President, Goulburn Liberals; Employer and job creator
Goulburn as freight hub
Interesting to read an article in the Canberra Times recently about Canberra Airport being touted as a possible alternative freight hub for Sydney. The arguments all centred around the access for B-double transport trucks being able to readily transfer freight to Sydney or Melbourne from Canberra.
But why hasn’t the NSW State Government ever considered Goulburn for this role? There is already the airport (little used) at Goulburn perfectly situated close to the major Sydney-Melbourne rail link and the Hume Highway. With a bit of infrastructure upgrade and lengthening of the existing runway (and no doubt a strengthening of the existing tarmac) this could be become an ideal transport hub for Sydney.
Why has no-one considered it before now? Goulburn would reap huge benefits from becoming a major international transport hub and Sydney Airport would be relieved of the current freight transport load, given it is at, or approaching, its maximum number of daily air movements loading.
With Goulburn Airport being to the south of the city, remote from residential areas, it would not be subject to curfews and would be capable of operating 24 hours a day. It seems a perfectly logical solution as it is exceptionally well-serviced by both road and rail access to both Sydney and Melbourne.
Why isn’t the State Member for Goulburn (and former Minister for Planning) Pru Goward pushing for this?