Phillip Barresi (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In fact, we visited the electorate of the member for Dawson. We had a most enlightening experience in all the towns that we went through. One of the things that came out clearly in every town we went through is how the employees and the employers were able to sit down and negotiate the arrangements which suited their interests. Whether it was through a unionised collective agreement, a non-unionised collective agreement or AWAs, we saw through those visits that flexibility was in place and was being enjoyed by both parties in the workplace. In some cases, the arrangements had been negotiated with the support of the union movement. I had a bit of a smile on my face in one location when the union movement was involved in helping the negotiations but, at the end of the day, not one of the employees decided to join the union. I am not sure what happened there but that, once again, demonstrates that there was choice.

Since March 27, when Work Choices came in, 205,00 new jobs have been created—increased jobs, increased opportunities for Australians. Over 1,000 jobs per day have been created since March 27. Those on the other side might have had a memory lapse. They told us this time last year, as Work Choices was being negotiated, that it was going to result in mass sackings and that the more vulnerable people in our community would be the first to go. In fact, the reverse has taken place: we have seen 205,000 new jobs. Let us contrast that with the average for the last 20 years. The average for the last 20 years, for a comparable period of time, has been a growth of 79,000 jobs. This year we have seen a growth of 205,000 jobs. It is no mere coincidence. Most of those jobs—184,000 of them—have been full-time jobs. So we have seen record low unemployment and record high levels of participation. That is the truth of the matter rather than the distortions of the other side.

The member for Cunningham mentioned that the participation rate amongst women in Australia is low compared to other nations around the world. It may be low compared to other nations around the world, but it is increasing and it is improving with every week and every month that goes by. The member for Cunningham contradicted herself when she said the part-time average of participation in Australia is at the higher end. I would have thought that part-time and casual employment—which the member for Cunningham alluded to—is a choice that a lot of women make as a way of balancing the competing demands of being at home and also being at work. Women in Australia, in many cases, are choosing part-time and casual employment as a way of meeting those very burdensome demands which are often expected of them in society, especially as they take the greatest load in most families.

Under this government, the number of women in employment has reached a record high. Women have achieved higher wages and access to greater flexibilities through a wide range of innovative working arrangements previously not available through awards. An award was very prescriptive. No matter what company you were working in, it would say that these conditions would apply and it would not take into consideration seasonal conditions, seasonal demands or things such as consumer demand for products or services, which may fluctuate from year to year. Since March 1996 the number of women in employment has increased by over one million. (Time expired.)

See this speech in context