1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Either duplicy. Ellen. Okay, let me make a prediction for 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: you on this pay equity drama that's been playing out 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: for the last twenty four plus hours. The government is 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: going to pay for this in a big way. I 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: reckon that this could become one of the defining moments 6 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: of this government when we look back on it in 7 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: years to come, kind of like the Mother of All 8 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: Budgets came to define Ruth Richardson and Bulger's government, and 9 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: the way the Cup of Tea came to define David 10 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Longi's government. I think this is a moment for this government, 11 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: not because it's the wrong thing for this government to do, 12 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: but because of the underhand and sneaky and cowardly way 13 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: that they have done it. Now I personally think that 14 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: the pay equity system didn't need an overhaul. I mean, 15 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: I think it is ridiculous to have librarians, as I 16 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: said yesterday, compared themselves to engineers to justify similar pay. 17 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: You can see those jobs are not even the same, right, 18 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: But I do not think that it should have been 19 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: rushed through with the shock in all that it has been. 20 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: An act in particular, has spent so much time in 21 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: the past criticizing the previous Labor government for using parliamentary 22 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: urgency to get around normal processes and keep people out 23 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: of deliberations, and yet here they are doing exactly the 24 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,919 Speaker 1: same thing because it suits them. And this is significant. 25 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: It should have been flagged with people because it affects 26 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: so many people. And yet no indication whatsoever until yesterday 27 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: that this was going to happen. Where was it on 28 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: the list of quarterly on the list of the Prime 29 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Minister's action plan for the first quarter, or even the 30 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,919 Speaker 1: second quarter or any quarter. It's just popped up absolutely nowhere. 31 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: It's taken everybody by surprise. And what's more, they need 32 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: to stop pretending in government that this isn't being done 33 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: in a hurry to have an impact on the budget. 34 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: This is being done in a hurry to save money 35 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: for the budget. We know that because David Seymour said 36 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 1: so yesterday. So everyone and especially the National Party needs 37 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: to pretend that this is being done for some sort 38 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: of principle when actually what it's being done for is 39 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: to save billions and billions and billions of dollars. The 40 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: primary problem here, I think is cowardice. It feels like 41 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: these guys are rushing this through as quickly as possible, 42 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: with as little notice as possible, so they do not 43 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: have to own their own decision. They should own it. 44 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: It's not a bad decision, but they're making it feel 45 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: like a bad decision. And I'll tell you what. Oppositions 46 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: can sense weakness, and they know that these guys are 47 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: weak on this, and they're going to strike on it, 48 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: which is why I think this government is itself making 49 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: this a defining moment. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, 50 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: listen live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 51 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.