Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer the minister to the Prime Minister’s claim this week that working families in Australia have never been better off and to a recent Drake International survey of 300 predominantly small to medium sized businesses about the paperwork burden of the government’s industrial relations laws. Is the minister aware that the survey found that over 57 per cent believe that record-keeping requirements would have a negative effect on their business, 62 per cent said it would adversely affect staff morale and 52 per cent said it would have a possible negative impact on productivity? Minister, given these findings, how can the government arrogantly tell the families who run these businesses that they have never been better off?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There were two issues raised; the first was about small business. I say to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that there is nothing more fearful for small business than the reintroduction of the unfair dismissal laws. Small business hates the Labor Party’s job-destroying unfair dismissal laws. There is no doubt about that. If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition were to understand anything about small business—and she certainly does not—she would know that small business went through absolute hell trying to comply with the Labor Party’s unfair dismissal laws.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question is about a survey of how businesses hate the government’s industrial relations legislation.

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

The minister is answering the subject matter of the question; I think it included small business. He is very much in order.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the second issue, I will tell you what small business are fearful of. They are fearful of the union bosses walking back in on the dark day that the Labor Party is elected to federal government; that is what they are worried about. When I went to a small business in Queanbeyan in Eden-Monaro yesterday, without any prompting from me, a worker pointed out that he was fearful of the unions walking back into the workplace and interfering in negotiations between employers and employees at the end of the collective agreement.

In relation to the second issue that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition raises on families, I will make this point: we see today more women in the Australian workplace than at any time in Australia’s history. We see today a narrowing of the wages gap under the coalition, when the wages gap between men and women grew under the Labor Party. We also see today that it has been the coalition government that introduced the family tax benefit, which provides choice for families. It is the coalition that has doubled the number of childcare places. It is the coalition government that has taken the cap off childcare places. It is the coalition government—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The point of order is on relevance. This is about the impact of Work Choices—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. The minister is answering the question. I call the minister.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the coalition government that introduced that outstanding initiative: the baby bonus. It is the coalition government that is in there batting for families and providing them with the opportunity of undertaking work if they choose to, or supporting them if a mum chooses to stay at home in full-time care of the children.