Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

You have heard it throughout the course of the day. I can tell you there is a long line of speakers from the government side to match your speakers—who are no doubt going to give a different story full of con and delusion—because the facts are here. The facts are that within the 12 months of Work Choices there have been 263,700 jobs created, and wages have increased. It is not just the creation of jobs; wages have increased because they are linked to productivity. That is the whole purpose of the introduction of these industrial relations laws. They have been introduced so as to make the economy stronger and to keep it productive and competitive internationally.

What is more, not only have wages and employment increased, but the number of industrial disputes has now reached an all-time low—the lowest since Federation. We no longer have these national strikes where the waterfront goes out and the transport union goes out in sympathy. When was the last time we had a national strike in this country? We have reached a point where industrial disputes are at their lowest ever.

What is the alternative? The alternative is a return to the old centralised system. What will we get? Small business will get a return of the Labor unfair dismissal laws. Nothing sends a shiver up the spine of small business more than the return of Labor’s idea of what unfair dismissal is. What is more, and what has not been said, is that section 45D of the Trade Practices Act will be abolished—the secondary boycott rules. Nothing has prevented national strikes in this country more than the government’s toughening of the secondary boycott rules. Under Labor we will get a return to that. Under Labor we will also get the abolition of AWAs. Over one million people on AWAs will have them abolished. That is a certainty. We know that goes to the heart of the mining industry. The Western Australian boom will come to a grinding halt in no time flat.

You can bet a few other things. You can bet that the building and construction legislation—a product of the Cole royal commission report that was tabled in this parliament—will also be abolished. What is more, you will see independent contractors got at. That will also be on your hit list. You will have the return of the unfair dismissal laws, the abolition of AWAs, the attack on independent contractors, the abolition of section 45D of the Trade Practices Act, a return of the building industry union’s power, regardless of what the Cole royal commission has laid down— (Time expired)