NICK XENOPHON PARTY CONFIRMS IT WANTS TO SEE CUTS TO PENALTY RATES

21 June 2016

SA Unions says the Nick Xenophon Party has this morning been caught out on penalty rates - it believes people earn too much on weekends and that weekend penalty rates should be cut.

State Secretary, Joe Szakacs says Senate candidate and campaign manager Stirling Griff, told ABC radio this morning that he still believes weekend penalty rates are too high.

"He trotted out the same old - and discredited line - that if only wages were lower, there would be more jobs."

"All evidence shoes this does not happen when people's wages are cut.  It is a tired old line from another out of touch Xenophon Party candidate."

When asked if penalty rates should be cut, Mr Griff said, "'It would be a good outcome for retailers, yes'."

Mr Szakacs says the problem with the Nick Xenophon Party is that you don't know what you are going to get.

"Mr Griff still firmly believes that people working weekends should get a pay cut."

"In fact, he has previously argued that there should be NO penalty rates at all."

"And when asked if the Nick Xenophon Party would support legislation to cut penalty rates on Sundays for small business if it were introduced by the Coalition, Mr Griff said:`we would have to consider it'."

"What's absolutely clear is that if the Liberals go after penalty rates through legislation, the Nick Xenophon Party will be lockstep in this attack on people's pay packets."

"All this on top of a strong track record from Nick Xenophon and his attempts to cut take home pay for working people."

"It was just a couple of years ago that Senator Xenophon introduced laws to Parliament to cut weekend pay rates."

"South Australians who believe Senator Xenophon stands up for battlers should remember what he tried to do to your pay packets, and what he will do in the future if he is given the chance."