Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

The reaction of members opposite paints a very stark picture. They are prepared to joke about and mock the mining industry in Australia—one which, on the other hand, they claim is the basis of our economic performance at the present time. Why would they abolish these agreements? We heard again yesterday—even before the new Leader of the Opposition had been selected by the Labor Party caucus—Sharan Burrow on the airwaves saying clearly, ‘There won’t be any change in the industrial relations policy.’ We have had John Robertson and Joe de Bruyn, all the heavies from the labour movement, saying, ‘Kevin Rudd, the Leader of the Opposition, will do what we tell him.’ This would be disastrous for Australia. Labor cannot be trusted to keep the Australian economy strong. The reality is that there may be a new leader but it is the same old Labor.

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