Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Is the minister aware of proposals to introduce compulsory union bargaining into Australia’s workplace relations system? What impact might this have on Australia’s economic future?

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Maranoa for his question. Indeed, I am aware of proposals by the Leader of the Opposition to introduce compulsory union bargaining in Australia. These plans, which are being pushed by the Leader of the Opposition and the union movement, both here in Australia and internationally, are basically a threat to the Australian economy.

The employers of Australia, who have created over 175,000 jobs in the last five months in Australia, are now staring down the barrel of a handover of control of their businesses to militant unions because of this proposal by the Leader of the Opposition. The reaction today in Western Australia, the home state of the Leader of the Opposition and member for Brand, could not be clearer. The Australian Industry Group said that this was one of the most extreme industrial steps ever taken by the Labor Party. The Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that some Western Australian businesses—members from Western Australia should particularly note this—would struggle to survive under these proposals. This was all summed up in an editorial in the West Australian today headed ‘Beazley’s IR plan to hand back control to the unions’. The editorial writer said, inter alia:

It is evident from Mr Beazley’s pronouncements that he intends to hand back control of IR to the unions—a huge leap back into an inglorious past of union agitated industrial disputation.

That is the summary of the West Australian and other business groups in that state of the consequence of this decision by the Leader of the Opposition to introduce compulsory union bargaining if he was elected to government.

This attack on the Australian economy is not just being carried out here in Australia; it is being carried out overseas as well. Indeed, the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Sharan Burrow, has been using an international forum, the International Labour Organisation, to talk down the government’s reforms, business leaders and—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They interject, Mr Speaker—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will not respond to interjections.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but do they agree with Ms Burrow going to the ILO and talking down the Australian economy? That is precisely what she has been doing.

Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Bevis interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Brisbane is warned!

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only was Sharan Burrow caught out breaching the ILO protocols in this attack. In her address to the International Labour Organisation she attacked Australian business leaders, saying that the government was ‘in the grip of the greediest business leaders’. That is what she said about people who have created 175,000 jobs here in Australia and taken the unemployment rate in this country to 4.9 per cent. Not only was she attacking business leaders in Australia in an international forum, badmouthing this country overseas; she also attacked the International Monetary Fund, the IMF—

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Oxley is warned!

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

because it dared to support the labour market reforms in this country. She said of the IMF, because it supported what this government has done to create jobs and drive up wages in Australia, that it was morally bankrupt and economically short-sighted—again, talking down Australia and talking down the Australian economy overseas. These are attacks on the economy in this country.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Sharan Burrow thought that you know who, the Leader of the Opposition, was still the minister for employment in Australia. She must be thinking about the days when we had unemployment rates under the Labor Party still over 10 per cent. She must be thinking back to the days under the Leader of the Opposition as the minister for employment when real wages actually went backwards in Australia. One would be forgiven for thinking that Sharan Burrow was still living in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when this man here was responsible for destroying employment in Australia. Can I say this: it is one thing to have a reasoned debate here in Australia about these matters, but when people like Sharan Burrow go overseas and talk down Australia and the Australian economy that is simply a disgrace.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tuckey interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for O’Connor is warned!