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

I thank the shadow minister for his question, because it gives me the opportunity to clarify some misrepresentations that have been made in the public debate about award modernisation. Point No. 1: award modernisation has been sought by employers in this country for decades. They wanted a simple, modern award system. Indeed, I recall when the Howard government was in government, and the member for Menzies was the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, he would come into this parliament and his daily sight gag was to hold up an award and to go through clauses that he viewed as archaic or overly complex.

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