Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lyons for his question because he, like so many on this side of the House, has been a fighter for the rights of people at work, unlike those on the other side who would dismantle those rights. I am asked the question about what we have done by way of action to protect those rights. The most important thing we did on coming to office was to abolish Work Choices. In its place we established Fair Work Australia. Fair Work Australia was based around the fundamental principles of the right to collective bargaining, the requirement for the parties to bargain in good faith, and for there to be an ability to go to an independent umpire if there was an issue to be resolved.

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