Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given the Prime Minister’s professed commitment to open government and evidence based policy—not ideology—will the Prime Minister provide the House with all departmental modelling and advice on the impact of his government’s changes to our workplace relations system?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. The key thing when it comes to industrial relations is whether you have in place an industrial relations system which rewards productivity. The hallmark of the industrial relations reforms that we are introducing as a government is that they drive productivity. Whether it is the elements which are contained within the proposed modernisation of awards, whether it is the elements contained within the future of enterprise bargaining, whether it is the elements contained in the future arrangements which will govern common-law agreements, productivity must be at its centre and its core. For those reasons, we believe that this is the right way forward to build long-term productivity growth.

If you are concerned with the war against inflation, you must not only have an effective strategy to build productivity through your workplace relations system but also do so across the instruments of government policy. You must make sure that you have got a decent supply of labour, a decent supply of skilled labour and a decent supply of trained labour. These are areas of gross and continuing neglect on the part of those who had 12 years to act in this area and failed to do so. Another driver of long-term productivity growth and fighting the fight against inflation is to ensure that your capacity constraints in infrastructure are being dealt with. Once again, we find that those opposite—

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. In relation to the question itself, it is about the advice consistent with what the Prime Minister said to the Fairfax journalists last week.

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

Ms Gillard interjecting

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

Order! Before calling the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister will sit there quietly.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Therefore, if you are concerned about how you ensure that you are fighting an effective fight against inflation through the industrial relations system, through the proper provision of skilled labour and through the proper provision of effective infrastructure across the country, you require a long-term strategy for the nation.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was about the Prime Minister’s promise of open government and whether he would release the documentation. He should come to the question.

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

The member for Menzies will resume his place. The Prime Minister has the call.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Menzies for his encouragement in the direction of moral improvement. Can I suggest in response to the—

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

Mr Downer interjecting

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

If the member for Mayo has some advice for me, he can get up on his feet and make a point of order. Otherwise, he can sit there quietly.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I find the words of the Prime Minister offensive, and I ask that they be withdrawn.

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

Regrettably, because of the general hubbub and the advice I was getting from several quarters, I honestly did not hear what the Prime Minister said, and I am not in a position to understand what the objection is.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister reflected on the morals of the member for Menzies, and this should be withdrawn. It should be withdrawn.

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. If the Prime Minister reflected on the morals of the member for Menzies, it should be withdrawn, and I would ask for it to be withdrawn, but I am not in any position to know whether there was such a reflection.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the benefit of the House, I will withdraw. The question at issue goes to what industrial relations systems we have in this country and how we will be reforming it.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the question is not as the Prime Minister phrased it. The question is whether he will, in the interests of open government, release to the House all departmental modelling and advice on the impact of his government’s changes to our workplace—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. I am sure that the Prime Minister is aware of the question. The Prime Minister will address the question.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The policy challenge for the House, for the government and for the nation is: how do you bring about an industrial relations system which builds non-inflationary productivity growth? On the question of advice to governments, I find it quite interesting that the member opposite and those responsible for the previous industrial relations system were always so frank and forthright in the provision of their advice, to wit: modelling prior to the introduction of Work Choices! I find that remarkable. On the general question of access to information contained within government, could I also say this: those opposite used and abused the freedom of information system. We have put forward a program to reform FOI. We made it in direct response to the ‘right to know’ campaign led by media organisations in the lead-up to the election. We have made those commitments quite plain, and during the period ahead we will be implementing them.