John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I bring to members' attention something which is very close to my heart and to my constituents' hearts. Specifically, it picks up on an answer you gave in question time today. Yesterday, the Industrial Relations Amendment (Public Sector Conditions of Employment) Bill 2011 went through the New South Wales upper house after a very truncated debate. In fact it was gagged, which is unprecedented in New South Wales history, and it is set to be rammed through the lower house and become law very shortly.

I followed the New South Wales election campaign very closely and did not see where Premier O'Farrell received any mandate to declare jihad on hard-working public servants in New South Wales. I see that Premier O'Farrell has no mandate to gut the security of hard-working teachers, fire fighters, bus drivers and nurses in New South Wales. I see that the Premier of New South Wales has no mandate to gut the power of the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission to set wages. Nor do I see Premier O'Farrell having a mandate from the people of New South Wales for his government to have the power to stipulate public sector wages and conditions and then require the IRC to consent to government policy. This is a national disgrace, and I know that the minister understands that clearly.

Plainly, from the feedback that I have received on what has happened in New South Wales, the conservatives have learnt nothing from the verdict which was given at the federal election in 2007, when the industrial relations agenda of the Howard government was repudiated. Minister, I would be very interested to know your views, on behalf of the government, on the draconian legislation that is set to become law in New South Wales, that will go to the heart and soul of hard-working public servants in New South Wales and that will severely affect their security. I would be very grateful if the minister would bring us up to speed, because I see that the conservatives have learnt absolutely nothing. They would doubtless return to that agenda if they were ever to occupy the treasury bench in this place in future.

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