The decision follows anger at new minimum pay rates – set by the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal – for owner truck drivers, which they fear will drive them out of a job.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has pledged to help owner truck drivers to stay in business.
A coalition government will abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal if it’s re-elected, he announced in Sydney on Sunday.
The decision follows anger at new minimum pay rates – set by the tribunal – for owner truck drivers, which they fear will drive them out of a job.
Mr Turnbull said the tribunal, which was established by Bill Shorten during the last Labor government, was designed to advantage the Transport Workers Union.
‘It was a piece of legislation that has had nothing to do with safety and everything to do with getting small businesses, self-employed people, the enterprising family businesses of Australia off the roads,’ he told reporters.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the $4 million in funding the tribunal receives will be redirected to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.
She said the government doesn’t have the numbers to abolish the tribunal now, but is confident it can secure legislation to suspend the new pay rates which came into effect on 7 April.
A bill to freeze the rates will be introduced when parliament resumes on 18 April.
During the visit to Padstow, Senator Cash said she had heard of one owner driver who has already gone out of business, with another in operation for 70 years to potentially follow.
‘We stand shoulder to shoulder with the mum and dads of Australia who do the right thing by all of us and we will not let you down,’ she said.
Independent senator Glenn Lazarus wants the tribunal abolished but can’t believe the government is waiting until after the election.
‘This is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard,’ he said in a statement.
‘The Turnbull Government is just trying to buy votes and they are prepared to use mum and dad truckies as pawns in their own election campaign.’
Senator Lazarus will introduce a bill during the week of April 18 to abolish the tribunal.
Greens MP Adam Bandt is yet to be convinced that scrapping the tribunal is the right thing to do.
He said having a universal floor across the industry, whether they are employees or owner drivers, provides the minimum rates that should apply.
‘That way you stop the race to the bottom on wages, conditions and safety,’ he told Sky News.
AAP
