Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to have the remainder of my speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The incorporated speech read as follows—

He believes in a system where workers lack the real power to negotiate with their employer, where it is worker against worker, and conditions are something that are not guaranteed. The government is trying to be too clever by half. They cannot have it both ways; you cannot implement an unfair system and then try not to call it by name hoping that no one will notice. That is the action of a cunning and desperate government. Let us also not forget what the Treasurer said when asked—words to the effect that everything can change after the election. After the next election all bets are off for this government. Let us not forget Work Choices when that election comes around, and make this government accountable for failing the people of Australia.

In the end, this is the story of the Howard government. It is not, and never has been, about a fair go for ordinary Australians. It is about keeping power for as long as possible and using taxpayer money for its own ends. Not only does this government take away workers rights, but then it uses their tax dollars to tell them how much better off they are. That is what this government thinks of fairness. Australians should not make the mistake of thinking that this government cares about workers’ rights, and should send that message home to the Prime Minister through the ballot box at the next election. It is time for a fair system, it is time for balance in IR and it is time for Work Choices to be consigned to history.

Debate interrupted.