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

I take Senator Conroy’s point. The reality is that they did not care, and that is very evident here today with some of the contributions during this debate and the confusion still within the coalition as to whether or not they should keep Work Choices. The distress these laws caused working families will never be forgotten. There is a lesson from history we can learn. The same thing happened in 1929 when that government attacked Australian workers. At that time they voted out the Prime Minister and his government. On 24 November 2007 the people did the right thing by getting rid of John Howard and his government.

I fully support the comments of Ms Gillard, the Deputy Prime Minister, in her second reading speech on the Forward with Fairness bill in which she stated:

It is now time for members in this place to respect and represent the clear message from the Australian people. No more Work Choices, no more Australian workplace agreements, no more unfairness, complexity and confusion.

She went on to say:

If the opposition uses its numbers in the Senate to unduly delay or reject this bill then that would be a deliberate choice by the Liberal Party to keep Work Choices alive. That would be a deliberate decision by the Liberal Party to treat the Australian people with contempt.

Minister Gillard and the Australian Labor Party understand the needs of working families. We understand that Australians need employment security. During 2008, the government will be consulting with employers, employees, businesses, unions and industry about its plans for a new workplace relations system.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s new workplace relations system will be fully operational by January 2010. It will be underpinned by a modern and fair set of minimum conditions. The new arrangements will foster the creation of a more highly skilled workforce, job growth and a better balance between work and family life. I commend these measures to the Senate and hope we can achieve some positive outcomes out of the mess that was created by the previous government.

I would like to place on record some of the other issues that I would have liked to cover in my address today, including the skill shortages and the economic difficulties we now face with inflation because of the legacy of 12 years of the Howard government. I would also like to say what a turning point it was and how proud I was to stand here as an Australian when the Prime Minister apologised on behalf of the country to the Indigenous members of our community. I, too, would like to join with others in hoping that this will strengthen the relationship and bring us closer together. There are so many other issues I would have liked to cover today, but I will leave it there.

Debate (on motion by Senator Conroy) adjourned.

Ordered that the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for a later hour.