23:43

Before question time, the government’s bill for an amnesty for employers who failed to pay superannuation passed the Senate, despite Labor’s attempt to amend it to include an enforceable right for unions and workers to pursue unpaid super in the Fair Work Commission.



Rex Patrick told the Senate Centre Alliance he decided to support the bill after the assistant minister for superannuation, Jane Hume, made a commitment to consider Labor’s amendment separately.



Hume confirmed the government would “consider the options outlined in Labor’s amendment” in the next six months, because it believed it needed “considerable time and scrutiny” before the plan could be approved.



Hume said in a statement:

This policy is all about reuniting hardworking Australians with their super. We anticipate at least $160m of super will be paid to Australian workers who would otherwise miss out. Since the one-off amnesty was originally announced back in 2018, over 7,000 employers have already come forward to voluntarily disclose historical unpaid super. We estimate an additional 7,000 employers will come forward in the next six months before the amnesty ends. Employers will not be off the hook. To use the amnesty, they must still pay all that is owing to their employees, including the high rate of interest. However, the amnesty will make it easier for workers to secure the super they are owed by not hitting employers with the penalties usually associated with late payment.

Labor believes that the amount the government is claiming will be paid back pales in comparison to the $5.9bn a year that Industry Super Australia has estimated is ripped off by employers from workers.



The good news is this problem should be a thing of the past because Australian Tax Office oversight is much improved, with single touch payroll giving them real-time information when employers fail to pay super.

