Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I know of his deep concern for the working families in his electorate, who do not want Work Choices. We have seen the opposition today vote in favour of the continuation of Work Choices. People might find it hard to imagine how you can come into the parliament, do that and at the same time say, as the Leader of the Opposition does, that you respect the views of the Australian community, who voted against Work Choices at the last election. What chain of reasoning puts these two things together? What would you have to believe in order to conduct yourself like that? Fortunately, we know what the opposition believes. We have got a very good source for knowing what it believes. That source is the member for Warringah, one of the most senior members of the opposition, formerly one of the most senior members of the Howard government, having served in this place as Leader of the House and minister for health and in other capacities. The member for Warringah was asked today, at a press conference, about the bill that bans AWAs, which passed in the Senate last night:

Is Australia today a better place?

He said:

Well, Australia will be over time a different place as a result of the change of government.

He went on to say, and this is the important quote:

So the Howard government’s industrial legislation—it was good for wages, it was good for jobs and it was good for workers, and let’s never forget that.

The member for Warringah, on behalf of the opposition, one of its most senior members, said:

So the Howard government’s industrial legislation—it was good for wages, it was good for jobs and it was good for workers, and let’s never forget that.

The political party of Work Choices speaks. It has so lost touch with the Australian community that it believes that Work Choices was good for workers. The Liberal Party has so lost touch with ordinary working Australians that it believes Work Choices was good for workers.

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