Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Once again the Australian Labor Party is seeking to dissemble in relation to this. As those opposite know, prior to Work Choices, the workers would have to have relied solely on their own resource to take the legal action. We now have a fund that individual workers can avail themselves of, if I recall correctly, up to $4,000, and the office of workplace standards will assist them in that regard. This is a huge step forward but, of course, what those opposite are condemning is that we are giving them the capacity to seek independent advice and they do not have to go cap in hand to the trade union movement. That is the thing that those opposite are concerned about in relation to this particular reform. (Time expired)