Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Can the minister confirm that, in addition to the government’s $55 million advertising blitz to promote Work Choices, market research was commissioned to test the public’s attitude to these laws? Can the minister confirm that at least $1.8 million was paid to Colmar Brunton, a research company, to undertake tracking surveys of the views of over 11,000 Australians? Hasn’t the government refused an FOI request for the survey results, stating that the surveys could not be released until they were seen by the Ministerial Committee on Government Communications? Doesn’t this contradict evidence given by DEWR in Senate estimates in November 2005 that the results had already been sent to the ministerial committee? Minister, aren’t you hiding these embarrassing results because they confirm the massive opposition of the Australian public to your unfair laws?