Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bernardi for the question. I am sure Senator Bernardi and most other senators would be aware of recent comments by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde. She said:

… more focus in general on the job market reforms and on more opportunities delivered by the job markets will actually help us reach the double objective of both growth and jobs.

It is for these precise objectives of both growth and jobs that the government has introduced its workplace relations legislation reform package.

The former Labor government radically re-regulated the labour market, strapping our economy into a pre-Keating straitjacket and setting the time machine back to the 1970s. Only recently we had the revelation of a secret meeting at Kirribilli in 2011 when, according to Paul Kelly in Triumph and Demise, Ms Gillard gave the unions everything they wanted. Passing the Fair Work amendment bill will boost investment in new projects, creating new jobs while safeguarding workers' conditions. Re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission will improve productivity in an industry that has suffered a sevenfold increase in the number of days lost to industrial action under Labor. A more sensible and fair workplace relations system is vital to insure Australia against any external shocks or constraints to the economy. Inaction on workplace relations reform is simply not an option.

The IMF, the B20 and the Australian government are all speaking with one voice. If Australia implements sensible labour market reform, it will improve national productivity, economic growth and create future prosperity— (Time expired)