With a federal election expected before May 17, Queensland workers face a critical choice about our future. A Peter Dutton-led government poses significant risks to the wages, rights, and security that union members have fought hard to achieve.
Over the past two years, union members have secured vital improvements: job security reforms, wage growth through multi-employer bargaining, and stronger protections against wage theft and sham contracting. These changes have helped thousands of Queenslander workers through the cost of living crisis we've experienced these past years.
However, Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party have consistently opposed these reforms and are pledging to dismantle them if they win government. Clearly this would be a disaster for working people in Queensland. Queensland workers must stand up and fight back against the LNP cuts and policies that would send us backwards.
Here’s what a Dutton government could mean for you:
1) Lower Wages
The LNP and their big business mates don't want Queensland workers to secure pay rises. Under the last coalition government, wages were repressed to deliver their big business mates their big profits. Dutton has also promised to reverse multi-employer bargaining laws that have enabled better pay deals. This could stall wage growth and leave many Queensland families struggling with rising costs.
2) Insecure Work
Dutton opposed the new casual employment definition that protects workers from being misclassified. He has pledged to scrap these safeguards, allowing employers to label permanent roles as “casual” to deny entitlements like sick leave.
3) Wage Theft and Superannuation
Dutton and the Coalition voted against criminalising wage theft. They opposed stronger penalties for bosses who steal wages and superannuation. If elected, Dutton would weaken these protections, making it easier for unscrupulous employers to exploit Queensland workers.
4) The Right to Disconnect
Workers recently won the right to disconnect from work outside paid hours, improving work-life balance. Dutton has vowed to repeal this right, pushing workers back into unpaid, round-the-clock availability. These landmarks laws have already seen Queensland workers secure a better work-life balance. It's all at risk under a Dutton government.
5) Cuts to Services
Dutton has a history of cutting essential public services. When he was Health Minister, he attempted to introduce fees for GP visits. Under a Dutton government, public sector jobs in Queensland could face cuts, and access to critical services may be reduced.
He has recently called for 36,000 federal public service jobs to be axed, Dutton wants to cut $6 billion out of the public service - Don't risk Dutton.
6) Respect and Safety at Work
Queensland workers have seen stronger protections against sexual harassment and new laws requiring large employers to report on their gender pay gaps. Dutton and the Liberals opposed these reforms and would likely scrap them, undermining efforts to make workplaces safer and fairer for women.
The past decade of Coalition rule saw wage stagnation, insecure work, and a weakening of worker protections. We cannot afford to go back.
Queensland workers deserve fair pay, secure jobs, and respect at work. A Dutton-led government threatens to strip away these hard-won rights.
This election, make your vote count. Don’t risk Dutton. Don’t risk your future.
