John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Not only am I aware of the damage that would be done by taking away Australian workplace agreements but so is the Australian Mines and Metals Association, an association that represents a section of the Australian economy which, according to the member for Perth—who is the spokesman for the Labor Party on these matters—is responsible for the boom economic conditions we are experiencing particularly in Western Australia. According to this association, which represents the mining industry, removing workplace agreements would cost $6.6 billion a year. That is the cost to the mining industry. This is not my figure; it is not the figure of the ABS; it is the figure of the Australian Mines and Metals Association.

See this speech in context