April 4, 2025
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton recently said voters should “look at what politicians do as much, or probably more, than what they say.” We agree.
Everyone knows the Liberal National Party is firmly on the side of bosses and billionaires—but what about their strange bedfellows in One Nation?
One Nation’s voting record on workers’ rights is damning. Any mineworker thinking of backing them at the ballot box this federal election should take a close look at what they have done.
The most acute issue for mineworkers at this federal election is defending Same Job Same Pay which was introduced by the Albanese Government and is already working to end the labour hire rort.
Shamefully, One Nation have consistently used their position in Parliament to vote against laws that support permanent jobs and pay raises, including Same Job Same Pay for labour hire workers and stronger rights for casuals.
One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts even went so far to call Same Job Same Pay a ‘sham’. Senator Roberts and One Nation proclaim to be on the side of mineworkers, while voting against every legislative reform to support them in a position more twisted that what you’d see in an acrobatic floor routine.
Same Job Same Pay laws were introduced as part of Labor’s Closing Loopholes legislation, which also contained critical worker protections including making it easier for casuals to become permanent, stronger delegates rights, better right of entry laws to stop wage theft, and ensuring workers don’t go backwards during enterprise bargaining. One Nation voted against it all. The list goes on. They’ve voted against banning pay secrecy, the right to disconnect, making industrial manslaughter a criminal offence and rights for gig economy workers.
Perhaps most shamefully, in 2021 One Nation voted with the Morrison Government to remove court-recognised rights for casual coal miners in long-term, full-time roles to receive leave entitlements. This stopped class actions set to deliver millions in unpaid entitlements to labour hire coal miners.
Teaming up with the LNP to vote against pay rises and stronger rights for workers appears to be a key tenet of the One Nation playbook.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart hung a mural of herself and Peter Dutton in the reception area of Rinehart’s Roy Hill mine site in Western Australia depicting her 70th birthday party.
This was understandably met with backlash from workers already concerned about Peter Dutton’s commitments to repeal new rights for workers and open assurances to mining companies that he will be their ‘best friend’.
Pauline Hanson featured in the mural among the cast of Gina’s birthday revellers too. Earlier this year the pair were spotted having lunch in Thailand and you can be confident that the same anti-worker agenda was on the menu.
Mineworkers have made significant strides in campaigning for and winning fair wages for labour hire workers and securing more rights in the workplace. However, these wins are new, and we can’t afford to lose them now.
They say that when people show you who they are – believe them. One Nation has revealed themselves time and time again as anti-worker. Our message to mineworkers is if you value Same Job Same Pay or any of the other new worker rights we have won in the last few years, don’t risk One Nation.
Not convinced? Go to plsexplain.com.au to see a list of all the times One Nation voted against workers for yourself.
Grahame Kelly
General Secretary