A push to reduce penalty rates appears to be gaining momentum in the federal Coalition, with South Australian frontbencher Jamie Briggs arguing the current regime was inequitable and cost jobs.

“Clearly it’s an issue which is affecting small business,” Briggs told Sky News today.

“You saw on a Friday in Melbourne with the additional public holiday for the Grand Final many small businesses not open because they couldn’t afford to – that is a problem.”

He said small businesses in his hills electorate of Mayo had “absolutely” raised concerns with him about the impost of weekend pay rates, and slammed the State Labor Government for introducing two new part-day public holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, which he says have forced many restaurants to “shut down at those times”.

“They can’t afford to open, it’s not worth their time and in fact they often lose money because of it,” said Briggs.

“Now, these issues do need to be looked at in a mature fashion because ultimately what it does is that it means young people don’t get access to work… Unfortunately there are insiders in this debate who continually argue against any change because they’re conflicted, they’re arguing for those who’ve got jobs, not for those who don’t have jobs.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this week signalled a penalty rates revamp could be on the cards, suggesting it was “inevitable” Sunday rates will be reduced. However, he said there would need to be widespread acceptance from workers that they would not be left worse off.

But Briggs was less diplomatic, saying the Prime Minister “wants to have an open and constructive dialogue with all parts of our society” but “that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re always going to agree on the final outcome and the direction that the government decides to take”.

But newly-appointed Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told ABC radio “we don’t have any plans” to reduce penalty rates.

“We’re having a decent, proper, sensible, mature, national conversation about the future of our Australian economy,” said Pyne.