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

But I also say to members opposite, and it is something that I find really remarkable: I would have said about the past Liberal government that there were some people in it who actually came to this parliament to engage in reform. There were some people in it who actually understood that when you are engaging in reform that matters for the future that that is a difficult process. It requires work with stakeholders. We are engaged in a difficult process that requires work with stakeholders. It is a process that was too difficult for the former Liberal government and instead they went down the rip-off route of Work Choices. When you are engaged in a reform process, yes, I understand that there is anxiety for people and they are watching the process carefully. I absolutely understand that, which is why I maintain a very strong dialogue with the employer organisations that represent sectors like the one the member has raised in this parliament. But when you are engaged in reform, you work with the reform process.

At the moment the opposition are carping and whingeing about this government’s reform and, at the same time, they are not clear about what they would do. I suspect that they are not clear because they are internally divided, not on the outcome but on the process. Their internal division is: should we go to the next election loud and proud as Work Choices supporters or should we try and hide that fact? Why don’t they try resolving that and being honest about it?

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