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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Treasurer’s comments on 6 May when he was asked if he could guarantee that a Costello government would not repeal or water down the fairness test the Prime Minister introduced. To that question, the Treasurer replied: ‘Well, I’m not going to speculate on what might happen after the election.’ Prime Minister, given that your Treasurer and deputy leader would not guarantee this week’s changes to your Work Choices laws, the last until after the election, why should any Australian believe that they will last?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is verballing the Treasurer. I know that I speak for every member of the government in saying to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and, more importantly, the Australian people that the fairness test which has been introduced by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, having been denounced for the last three weeks, is now going to be supported by the opposition. We have had three weeks of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition saying it was a fake fairness test. Last night she said, ‘Oh, there might be one person or half a person who gets some benefit out of it,’ but they go along to the caucus meeting today and say, ‘Oh no, we’re going to support it.’ Well, that is good. I am glad they are going to support it. I am glad they recognise that the fairness test will provide a better guarantee—

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

How long is it going to last?

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

The deputy leader has asked her question.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in relation to people trading off their penalty rates than operates under the preferred option of the Australian Labor Party. We all know that, under the preferred contractual arrangement of the Australian Labor Party, people’s penalty rates and holiday payments can in fact be traded off for very modest amounts. I have even heard of figures under 50c being an adequate trade-off. But under our policy, there will be an independent assessment of whether there has been fair compensation. So let me say on behalf of everybody in the government that, if the government is returned, there will be no watering down of the fairness test.