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

Tweed. I thank my friends on the opposition for that assistance. I hope they are as cooperative throughout the rest of question time. First of all, I congratulate the gentleman on his election. I am more than happy, and I am sure a lot of my colleagues would be happy, to disabuse him of some of the views that he may have in relation to Work Choices, because, as we celebrate the first anniversary of Work Choices, there is nothing but good news for the working men and women of this country, and for Australia.

If the National Party strategy in Tweed was to disown Work Choices, I am not sure that that necessarily follows with the New South Wales election result, because, as I understand the New South Wales election result, there was in fact a three per cent swing against Labor. In other words, the Labor Party are saying to the Australian people that the three per cent swing against Labor was as a result of Work Choices. Indeed, in the union heartland of the Hunter—so ably represented by senators from New South Wales—can I indicate that there were substantial swings. I understand that, in relation to the New South Wales election, the Premier asserted that when he stood at a polling booth—I think it was in the seat of Menai—everybody who came up to him at the time talked to him about Work Choices. The unfortunate fact for the Premier is that there was in fact a federal member at the booth at exactly the same time, and that assertion by Premier Iemma is simply false, incorrect, untrue, because she witnessed him gladhanding a whole row of people without engaging in any meaningful way other than to say hello. So what we have here is a desperate attempt by the Australian Labor Party to rewrite the history of the New South Wales election, as they tried to do in Victoria and Tasmania. For over two years—and keep in mind that Work Choices has only been in for one year—the Labor Party has been condemning Work Choices and what it might do for the people of Australia.