UnionsWA has today responded to comments on penalty rates by Prime Minister Turnbull made during the Leader’s Debate on Facebook.

Meredith Hammat, Secretary UnionsWA said:

“It’s just not good enough.

"Like Barnett, Turnbull is on record in the past supporting a cut to penalty rates pay.

“His government has not made a submission to the Fair Work Commission review of penalty rates pay – nothing in writing about their policy.

“Yet he wants us to believe a one-liner on Facebook.

“Seriously?

“To get by, many thousands of low-paid working West Australians rely on penalty rates.

“Yet the guy who wants to be Prime Minister won’t express a view going into this election.

“It’s just not good enough.

"Union members will continue our Build a Better Future campaign for a government that defends penalty rates for working people.

“The aggressive push by employers to cut pay won’t go away.

"With sixty-one Coalition MPs, including Turnbull, on the record supporting them, this fight to protect penalty rates must continue."

Further information:

‘Malcolm Turnbull: Lower penalty rates inevitable with 'seven day economy,'’ Brisbane Times, 6 October 2015 available here

Malcolm Turnbull in The Australian (15/9/15): "You see businesses, particularly, hospitality businesses, like cafes and restaurants and so forth, closed on weekends when they should be doing brisk business because the penalty rates are so high the owner cannot make ends meet. Now that’s nuts.” available here.

"Umpire will protect penalty rates: Shorten", SBS Online, 17 May 2016 - Read about the 61 Coalition MPs on record supporting penalty rate cuts here.