'Protect existing rates': Eric Abetz intervenes on penalty rates decision

By James Massola, Chief Political Correspondent
Updated March 2 2017 - 7:08pm, first published 4:41pm
No worker should be worse off: Tony Abbott's IR minister Eric Abetz has intervened in the penalty rates debate. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
No worker should be worse off: Tony Abbott's IR minister Eric Abetz has intervened in the penalty rates debate. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Liberal senator Eric Abetz has dramatically intervened in the penalty rates debate, calling for workers' existing rates to be protected, and creating a fresh political headache for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.