Senator Eric Abetz

The Government has been forced to admit that it didn’t even bother to consult with the Office of Work & Family before implementing its so-called ‘modern awards’.

Responding to questions I asked in Senate Estimates, The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has now revealed that, “The office of Work and Family did not provide any input to Fair Work Australia in relation to the development of modern awards”.

Modern awards underpin the employment conditions of millions of Australian workers and their families yet the government didn’t even bother to consult with its own specialised office in relation to the impact on the family life of Australian workers.

“So much for Labor’s so called commitment to “working families”, it beggars belief that despite all the rhetoric from the Prime Minister, clearly Labor has completely ignored the critical issue of work-life-balance for Australian workers,” says Senator Eric Abetz.

“While the Prime Minister has been off around the country dropping the phrase “working families” ad nauseam, it’s clear that he is more concerned about spin over substance and the reality is that he couldn’t care less about Australian working families”.