Kerry Rea (Bonner, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Will the minister detail the stability and certainty that the government is providing for Australian employees and employers in its workplace relations policies?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for the question. This side of the House believes it is very important that Australian employers and Australian employees can plan at work with certainty, knowing what the law is going to be. We believe that that certainty should not just last for a limited period of time; that certainty should be there for the long term, because people make long-term arrangements at work. That is why we published, before the last election, all of our policies in industrial relations: so Australian employers and Australian employees could see what it was that a Labor government would provide if elected. We have before the House the legislation that delivers the first bit of that policy, and we will have a substantive bill that delivers the rest of the policy. But the certainty on this side of the House is met on the other side of the House by confusion, by flip, flop, flap and then fuddle.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fuddle?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fuddle. And before the last election these were the people that walked to the dispatch box and defended Work Choices day in, day out. Just a few short months ago they were at the dispatch box defending Work Choices. The current Leader of the Opposition talked about how much political capital and philosophical determination had been invested in workplace relations. The member for North Sydney, then the relevant minister, said in the context of the election campaign:

The workplace relations system of the Coalition is providing benefits to workers, businesses and the economy as a whole. It must be retained …

They believed in Work Choices before the election, and the truth is they actually believe in it now. They are pretending that they have had some road-to-Damascus conversion and they no longer believe in Work Choices. They are pretending that they no longer believe in the Australian workplace agreements, though one would have to say in the last 48 hours the degree of confusion on that point from the opposition has been absolutely remarkable. But apparently, if the statements of the opposition are now to be believed, they will give passage to Labor’s bill through the parliament, and indeed today coalition members at the relevant Senate committee for the bill did not vote at all on a resolution to put the timetable for the Senate inquiry back to the timetable that Labor had asked for.

Originally the Liberal Party in its defence of Work Choices had sought to draw this matter out to keep Work Choices going as long as humanly possible. Today the Liberal Party, confronted with a proposition that they come back to Labor’s timetable, that they deal with this bill before Easter, did not even vote on it. So we are now in a situation where we believe—it is hard to know; it changes minute by minute with the flip, flop, flap and fuddle—that the opposition will vote for Labor’s bill and we believe that the opposition will process Labor’s bill in the Senate before Easter, as Labor originally asked.

What could cause this remarkable change of heart from a party that believed in Work Choices and has always believed in industrial relations extremism and advocated it right up until yesterday? I would have to say I think I know what has fed into this change of heart, because I have come upon a secret Liberal strategy document. It is the secret plan that shows why the opposition has now repositioned on Work Choices. This is a secret plan that says that the opposition would be best advantaged by adopting Labor’s policy and offering to fast-track it. Isn’t that starting to happen? They are fast-tracking Labor’s policy now, as we ask. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is echoing Labor’s words, talking about a fair and flexible industrial relations system. They are adopting this policy of pretending to close the gap on industrial relations and endorse Labor’s plan. This is a policy that talks about them losing their reputation for industrial relations extremism and Work Choices by pretending to endorse and give swift passage to Labor’s policies.

When you analyse this secret plan, the position of endorsing Labor’s plans and giving it fast track is not because they should change their view substantively—that is not what this secret document says they are going to do. They are going to change their view cosmetically, because if they change their view cosmetically—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order—again, it relates to relevance. The Deputy Prime Minister was not asked about alternative views. Specifically, the question was about their current policy. I ask you to bring her back to the question or, if it relates to the current debate, to rule it out of order subject to section 100(e) of the standing orders.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the question was about certainty and stability for Australian employers and employees. So I think what a Liberal opposition believes in pertains to that question, because we are talking policy settings people are entitled to know for the long term. This secret policy document talks about pretending to agree with Labor—

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The point of order is on relevance. The question asked about certainty for employees and employers, not any secret documents.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister is relevant. On the point that the member for North Sydney raised, yet again it is a standing order that covers the question. In any case, I do not think that the Deputy Prime Minister is reflecting upon proceedings before the House at the moment.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This secret document lays bare that the reason for this strategy is so business will come back into dialogue with the opposition and they can ‘do some deals’—that is the terminology used—that they can have refunded. It is all about business fundraising. That is what this secret plan is all about.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The answer has been going for well in excess of five minutes now. The Deputy Prime Minister is now referring to documents that I understand come from a private sector organisation. It is not part of the question.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This secret document from a Liberal Party strategist that includes the secret plan—it is all about attracting business fundraising, not about substantively changing their position on industrial relations. This is a document that lays bare a strategy to pretend that they have given up industrial relations extremism and then, if they are re-elected in the future, to go straight back to industrial relations extremism. I take it that the Liberal Party, the members opposite, think I am wrong. Well, if I am wrong, they can come to the dispatch box and say one thing: that a re-elected Liberal government will never introduce AWAs or statutory individual employment agreements again.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister is well and truly starting to debate the question.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, 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. The Deputy Prime Minister has moved considerably from the question and the answer that is required. It is well known that the coalition will not be opposing the government’s workplace relations legislation.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! As reminded by the member for Cowper, the question went to certainty and uncertainty in regard to workplace legislation.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I conclude on this: the question of certainty and stability for Australian employers and employees would be assisted by a simple answer from the Leader of the Opposition or the Deputy Leader of the Opposition—or whoever is in control these days—to a question. That question is this: would a re-elected Liberal government reintroduce Australian workplace agreements or a statutory individual employment agreement of any nature—yes or no? And if they do not answer that question then clearly it is about a secret plan to bring back Work Choices, should they ever return to the government benches. The party of Work Choices are still the party of Work Choices and they will always be the party of Work Choices.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that the Deputy Prime Minister table the secret document that she was quoting from.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, she says it is our secret document—table it!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for North Sydney will resume his seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Table it! Table it!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I warn the member for North Sydney! He requested action to be taken. I am about to take it if he would be quiet. Was the Deputy Prime Minister reading from a document?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I made reference to but did not read from a document.