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 the Prime Minister to the following sentence in his recently published biography:

One cabinet minister specifically recalled Andrews—

that is, Minister Andrews—

explaining to Howard and the rest of the cabinet that there was no getting around some workers losing out under the proposed legislation—

the Work Choices legislation. Prime Minister, don’t the losers include young Australians who can still be given an Australian workplace agreement which cuts award conditions like notice of a change of roster which could change their start and finish times? Isn’t it the case that the only thing parents can do about protecting their child from an AWA that allows changing hours and late finish times is to tell their child not to take the job?

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

The particular allegation in the book is wrong. I have made that clear, as has the former Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. As to the other matters, let me point out to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that the workers, generally speaking, are better off under our policies than they were under the former policies. There are more of them in jobs, strikes are fewer, wages are higher and the economy has benefited from the flexibility extended by these changes.