Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (Senator Abetz) to questions without notice asked today relating to changes to industrial relations.

Mr Deputy President, if you were to read any of the daily press from the last 12 months on the topics of industrial policies, industrial relations or labour law reform, you would be clearly aware of one thing—that there is a gaping chasm emerging in this country as to how labour relations and industrial relations in the workplace should be regulated.

One side of this parliament, one side of this chamber, is clearly committed to growth; productivity improvement; reforms that guarantee wealth creation and institutional reform that achieves that end; giving reward for effort; reward for hard work; and, most importantly of all, achieving and maintaining equity and fairness in the workplace. The other side of the debate, the other side of the chamber, is committed to the creation and continuation of class conflict and industrial warfare; the creation of productivity decline; institutional conflict and inertia; reward only via exploitation and harm; the spreading of hatred, violence and restrictions on lawful activities; and, most importantly of all, the denial of basic human rights in our workplaces.

The latter scenario that I outlined is the policy of the current government—of the coalition parties. In their haste and desire to revert and return to the 1890s, as they bring laws of change into this place, they seek to deliberately avoid their responsibilities as we go into the first quarter century of the 21st century. Their system, recently passed, is designed around the creation of an expensive, huge and bureaucratic set of regulations. They seek to restrict the ability of workers and managers to engage in discussions and negotiations on issues of their own choice. They pass reams and reams, pages and pages, of activities that employers, trade unions and workers may not engage in under the heading of ‘Prohibited content’. They seek to continually deny any semblance of rights and are gleefully proud of their achievement. They deny any sense of responsibility and they continue to deny any concept of rights, protections or interests.

The other side, this side of the chamber, are committed to an alternate scenario—a scenario that is truly progressive in terms of labour market reform in this country, a policy of those who care about and love their country, a policy of vision for the next 50 years—not a return to the archaic days of the last 120 years—and a policy about reward, success, achievement, productivity, production and helping and assisting those in need. That is the policy of the Australian Labor movement.

We saw it today spelt out in headlines in the Australian Financial Review: a way forward, a clear vision and a brief set of clearly spelt out and easily understood principles, having regard for the open trading nature of the Australian economy, and having particular regard for fundamental rights of workers in the workplace; the creation of an effective safety net protection against unfair, unlawful, illegal and harsh treatment in the workplace; the right, for those who choose so, to collectively bargain; the right for those who want it to have active union representation in the workplace; and, most importantly of all, access to an independent umpire to set minimum wages and an appropriate safety net— (Time expired)