Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Fair Work Bill 2008 and, in doing so, I am reminded of what the government often says to the opposition: don’t hear what they say but see what they do. When I reflect on those comments I am reminded that this government has a very difficult time taking yes for an answer. The comments that have been made by the opposition have been constructive, and those constructive comments will continue when this bill leaves this place and goes to the Senate, where I am sure there will be more constructive contributions. But this government has had a lot of difficulty in accepting when the coalition acts in a particular way. We saw it in debate about the various payments which will hit Australian families next week where the government, for some reason, was suggesting that the measures were not supported by the coalition when we stood in this very place and supported them. In speaking on this bill, we make more constructive contributions, but I fear that what the government does not like at all is when those on this side make some constructive suggestions—when we do not flail about in some sort of sycophantic fiesta celebrating the greatness of the government but instead come into this place, as our constituents expect us to do, and make constructive representations and engagements on the bills that are before the House.

I say to the government that they should open their ears on these matters, listen hard and take on board the constructive comments that are being made by the opposition. This is now their responsibility. The government find it very difficult to accept that, when they bring in bills like this, particularly after an election, they are now putting their system in place. They will be accountable for their system and they will have very real responsibilities and accountabilities for the outcomes that this bill will impose on the Australian economy.

This bill represents the single largest re-regulation of the labour market in at least my lifetime and, I am sure, the lifetimes of many in this place, regardless of how long they have been here. This is a massive level of re-regulation of our labour market. It takes us not only back to 1996, when, as I have reminded this House before, there were also mandates given by the Australian people to the then Howard-Costello government—mandates that were acted on—but back prior to 1993 when it was not uncommon for Australia to lose more than a million days to industrial disputes a year. They are the days that we are going back to in terms of the re-regulation of the labour market. That is the mandate that this government has in bringing this bill before this place, that is the mandate it sought in industrial relations and that is the mandate that it was so effectively supported in achieving by the union movement, which are the prime beneficiaries of this bill. I note, for the sake of humour and interest, that in 1993 the No. 1 song in the charts for 10 weeks was I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, and I suspect that is what the union movement will be singing to the Labor Party all the way through the debate on this bill. And they will be singing it for a very long time to come because the primary beneficiary of this bill is the union movement.

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