Says government's attempt to expand bill threatens to 'make a bad bill even worse'
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has called for opposition on the second Closing Loopholes bill after the government made controversial additions to the proposal.
ARA chief executive officer Paul Zahra encouraged the opposition and crossbenchers in both houses last week to not pass the legislation with the additional measures.
"Unfortunately, the governments' recommendations seek to expand the scope of this legislation and threaten to make a bad bill even worse," Zahra said in a statement.
The statement follows Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke's move to discreetly circulate to key crossbenchers a draft of the "right to disconnect" amendment amid pressure to include it in the second Closing Loopholes Bill.
The move garnered backlash from various business groups, including the Ai Group and Business Council of Australia, that called out the last-minute introduction and lack of consultation.
Casual work changes
But for the ARA, their biggest concern on the bill remains the proposed changes related to casual work arrangements.
"These complex changes would create unnecessary confusion without any material upside in terms of higher conversion rates to permanent employment," the ARA CEO said.
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"While we remain opposed to these and other changes built into the remaining provisions, we have proposed some workable recommendations if the Senate is contemplating amendments to the legislation."
Coalition Senators and the Jacqui Lambie Network have already made dissenting opinions over the bill, which the ARA said underscores the further need to scrutinise the proposal when Parliament resumes.
"So, we urge the opposition and crossbench not to support any measures that would circumvent debate or due process," Zahra said.
"We have been encouraged by our engagement with the crossbench and opposition and look forward to engaging constructively with the government in the days and weeks ahead."