In a Q&A episode featuring a great deal of political shadow boxing and even some Seinfeld-esque debating “about nothing”, one audience member was at least able to elicit from Rural Affairs Minister Fiona Nash a promise to drop her private health cover while she remains in office.
The panel featured Senator Nash, Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King, Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Dave Oliver, industrial relations specialist and columnist with The Australian Grace Collier and 3AW host Neil Mitchell.
It tackled a host of topics including the possible death of the GST, Sunday penalty rates and the way forward for unions. Here are some of the highlights.
Would politicians agree to use only the public hospital system while in office?
Neil Mitchell:
Fiona Nash:
Catherine King:
How can union members’ funds be safeguarded?
Grace Collier:
Dave Oliver:
Neil Mitchell:
In holiday areas they closed on Boxing Day because they couldn’t afford the penalty rates. The pub wasn’t open on Christmas Day because they couldn’t afford the penalty rates.
You don’t want to rip off the pub, of course, but if you have the small business glowing, thriving, you need that co-operation.
We are talking about a fair wage, and a seven-day industry, 24 hours, seven days a week world, I think you have to accept there has to be a negotiated situation where they get fair wages, a fair deal, but you can still grow business.
Grace Collier:
Who is going to vote for somebody, who is going to vote for a pay cut? Nobody. It is politically toxic.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
© 2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here.
Top Comments
"Neil, I don’t know. Are you prepared to actually take the hand of a child, to put them on the plane, to send them back to Nauru?"
I didn't watch last night - what was Mitchell's response?
He said he couldn't.