Get the latest media releases from Murray's Office.
Get the latest media releases from Murray's Office.
The next two weeks is critical in the campaign to save Sunday penalty rates for Gold Coast retail and hospitality workers.
Tomorrow, Federal Parliament resumes for the final two weeks before penalty rate cuts start for thousands of Gold Coast workers on July 1.
This means Gold Coasters have only two weeks to urge their Federal LNP MPs to vote with Labor and stop the cuts proceeding.
Penalty rate cuts will have a devastating impact on the Gold Coast, which contains three of the 10 Federal electorates most affected.
In total, up to 57 116 workers on the Gold Coast could have their take home pay cut by up to $77 per week because of these changes.
Under the Turnbull Government, wages in Australia are growing less than ever before. This latest pay cut is even more bad news for Gold Coast workers and their families.
It is also bad for the Gold Coast economy, as these workers will now have less money to spend in local shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Labor is fighting to stop this damage being inflicted on our local workers and economy.
We have introduced and passed legislation in the Senate to protect workers’ take home pay now and into the future.
Unfortunately, the LNP have refused to support Labor’s legislation.
With Malcolm Turnbull only holding onto a Government majority by one seat, Gold Coast MPs could stop these cuts to penalty rates on July 1.
The next two weeks are the last chance for the Gold Coast LNP MPs to stand up for the Gold Coast and stop the pay cuts of thousands of Gold Coast workers.
Employers like RSL Queensland have stood up and said that they will not support the cuts to penalty rates and will continue to pay their staff the same rates as they do now.
If only our local MPs had the same courage.
If the cuts to penalty rates go through, it’ll prove yet again that the LNP are happy to sit back and take the Gold Coast for granted.
Bert Van Manen, Steve Ciobo, Stuart Robert, Karen Andrews and Scott Buchholz need to stand up for the Gold Coast or stand by as our local workers and economy suffers.