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

On the question of workplace relations policy and what has caused the Leader of the Opposition to embrace Work Choices, of course, he may well have got some very sloppy advice from the shadow Treasurer. Because as today’s Sydney Morning Herald records, and I quote:

Just days after announcing a vast, left wing conspiracy at the G20 treasurers’ summit, Joe Hockey has himself unwittingly joined an illegal left-wing conspiracy …

He was at a CFMEU press conference talking about industrial action in support of green bans. The article says:

Rubbing shoulders with the assembled trade unionists and environmentalists, Hockey brought conversation to a stop when he asked the union president, Peter McClelland, if the green ban was legal. After a short pause, McClelland reminded the former workplace relations minister some of the finer points of his Work Choices legislation. “No it’s not, and it’s because of your government,” he said.

Apparently the onlookers went all quiet and then began to laugh at Mr Hockey. The quote continues:

“The impression you got is that he was completely unaware that it was illegal,” …

It was another sloppy piece of work by the shadow Treasurer. The shadow Treasurer may not have understood that about Work Choices but what he ought to have known about Work Choices is that it ripped working people off. He endorsed it every step of the way, and the Liberal Party still does.

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