Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Over this time, let's not forget the legacy of Labor in this area as well, and what has been described as the 'valley of death'. Over the next 20 years this government will invest over $89 billion in ships and submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. In the short-term these two measures will mean 1,000 jobs which would otherwise be lost. Both these programs, when they are ramped up, will guarantee around 2,500 Australian shipbuilding jobs for decades. This is a historic agreement. It will ensure not just that Australia has a shipbuilding industry but that it has a fleet-building industry. This is a very critical investment and one which will generate significant growth in the shipbuilding industry for years to come.

I make some comments also in relation to the Productivity Commission review of the workplace relations framework and the draft report that has been delivered. The coalition made a commitment at the last federal election to ask the Productivity Commission to undertake an independent review of the workplace relations system. The terms of reference of that Productivity Commission report were carefully considered. They were also agreed to in consultation with unions, employers and state governments. We have received a 1,000-page report, which was consulted upon by the Productivity Commission with the unions, and 255 submissions were received and more than 500 individuals placed on record their views in relation to this.

We will now have a period of national consultation in relation to this report—to government; not of government—and will ask interested parties to share their views in relation to this important issue. Then a final report will be prepared for the government. So the government will not be drawing any conclusions from this draft report.

But that of course has not stopped those opposite and their union mates from scaremongering. Despite the scaremongering that has occurred, the Productivity Commission has done very good work. This is the same Productivity Commission that has done reports for both Labor and coalition governments in the past and, rather than playing politics, those opposite should be part of this good process. (Time expired)