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

Can I inform the senator that there is a big difference in not getting an answer to a question and not liking the answer that you are given because it does not suit your political purposes. In relation to the working hours that Australians have to work, I have in fact been provided with some very interesting information, and that is that average working hours are now lower under Work Choices. Between April 2006 and February 2007 full-time weekly hours worked averaged 39.8 hours per week compared with 40.3 hours per week over the same period a year earlier. Do you know what that means and why that is? Because under Work Choices employers feel comfortable in employing more people. As a result, they do not have to rely on their workers working longer hours. As a result, we are sharing the wealth around. More people are in jobs and those that have jobs do not have to work as long. (Time expired)