Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Can the minister outline any current support for Work Choices from members of this House?

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

I thank the member for his question. I know of his deep concern for the working families in his electorate, who do not want Work Choices. We have seen the opposition today vote in favour of the continuation of Work Choices. People might find it hard to imagine how you can come into the parliament, do that and at the same time say, as the Leader of the Opposition does, that you respect the views of the Australian community, who voted against Work Choices at the last election. What chain of reasoning puts these two things together? What would you have to believe in order to conduct yourself like that? Fortunately, we know what the opposition believes. We have got a very good source for knowing what it believes. That source is the member for Warringah, one of the most senior members of the opposition, formerly one of the most senior members of the Howard government, having served in this place as Leader of the House and minister for health and in other capacities. The member for Warringah was asked today, at a press conference, about the bill that bans AWAs, which passed in the Senate last night:

Is Australia today a better place?

He said:

Well, Australia will be over time a different place as a result of the change of government.

He went on to say, and this is the important quote:

So the Howard government’s industrial legislation—it was good for wages, it was good for jobs and it was good for workers, and let’s never forget that.

The member for Warringah, on behalf of the opposition, one of its most senior members, said:

So the Howard government’s industrial legislation—it was good for wages, it was good for jobs and it was good for workers, and let’s never forget that.

The political party of Work Choices speaks. It has so lost touch with the Australian community that it believes that Work Choices was good for workers. The Liberal Party has so lost touch with ordinary working Australians that it believes Work Choices was good for workers.

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fancy someone disagreeing with you! They should go to jail. What about show trials?

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

I would ask the member for Warringah, the member for Mayo, who is interjecting, and the rest of the opposition, who today have voted for Work Choices and described it as ‘good for workers’, to explain to the 70 per cent of workers who lost their shift loadings in AWAs whether it was good for them; to the 65 per cent of workers who lost their penalty rates through AWAs whether it was good for them; and to the 61 per cent who lost their substitute days for public holidays whether it was good for them. Was it good for the 50 per cent of people on Australian workplace agreements who lost public holiday pay? Was it good for the 31 per cent who lost rest breaks? Of course, the statistics of shame that relate to Work Choices go on—they are just the start of the statistics. Does the Leader of the Opposition agree it was good for workers for them to lose amounts of up to $500 a week, as I have disclosed in this House? Was that good for workers? Is that what you mean by ‘good for workers’ in the Liberal Party these days?

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

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations will address her remarks through the chair.

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

The view of the Liberal Party of this country is that Work Choices was good for workers. Every statement it has made since the election about Work Choices being dead, about respecting the decision of the Australian people, about listening to their voice, about having a changed view—every statement made by any member of the opposition since the election—was a false statement. It has shown it today by how it voted to continue Work Choices. The member for Warringah has helpfully laid bare, for every working Australian to see, that it believes being able to be ripped off is good for workers. It believes being able to be sacked for no reason and with no remedy is good for workers. This is a political party that has lost touch, lost its way and understands nothing about the circumstances of working Australians. As we have seen from today’s vote and today’s statement by the member for Warringah, it never will.