THE Fair Work Commission should set penalty rates according to both Louise Markus and Susan Templeman.
Current Liberal Party member for Macquarie Louise Markus emphatically stated the government’s position was to let the FWC set penalty rates and a re-elected government would not seek to change that.
“The government's position on penalty rates has been consistent and will not change,” she said.
“Penalty rates are a matter for the Fair Work Commission to determine.”
Labor Party candidate Susan Templeman echoed those views, and said it was important penalty rates were not part of legislation, as has been suggested by the Australian Greens Party.
Ms Templeman said shift workers deserved to be paid more for working at times when they rest of us did not.
“If young people are working unsociable hours, hours when mums and dads are away from their families on weekends or public holidays, then they deserve additional pay for those hours,” she said.
“That is the only way they can pay the mortgage and pay the electricity bill and pay for the things they want their kids to have.
“I see penalty rates as a real fundamental, not something extra or special, it is a real basis for how a lot of people get by from week to week.”
Ms Templeman said she thought the Greens’ position was dangerous, because it would leave penalty rates at the whim of the government of the day.
“When you put it in legislation that a parliament can change penalty rates, it only takes the liberal government to come to power to change the legislation,” she said.
“That means they could take away penalty rates with one vote.
“We think it is better to have an independent umpire.”
In December, the Productivity Commission recommended that the Sunday penalty rates for hospitality and retail be cut, and brought in line with those on Saturdays.
The Fair Work Commission, which ultimately makes the decision, has been weighing up whether to make the cut or not to Sunday penalty rates.
Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten has copped some criticism for saying he would accept the decision to cut Sunday penalty rates.