Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to make some comments about the recent New South Wales election. First of all I would like to congratulate many of the people for their dedicated commitment throughout this campaign. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the role of many dedicated party members who worked very, very hard in what I have to say was one of the most ferocious and personally scurrilous campaigns ever launched by the Labor Party and their union mates. Despite the overall outcome I think there were some very, very good gains by the Liberal Party. Of course, the Labor Party will not tell us about that because in many, many seats across New South Wales there was a consistent message, and that was the swing against the Labor Party. I would like to bring some of those to the attention of the Senate.

For example, Chris Patterson, who ran for the seat of Camden and is mayor of Camden Council and family owner of the local public, faced an uphill battle against a sitting member. He faced a very great margin, and I was very pleased to see that he was able to achieve an over five per cent swing to the Liberal Party. Jonathon Flegg in the seat of Coogee: a swing of over six per cent. Greg Smith in the seat of Epping, I was very pleased to see, had a swing of over 10 per cent. Ray Williams: over eight per cent in the seat of Hawkesbury.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about Debnam?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about Mount Druitt, Senator Forshaw? I do not know how long it has been since you have been out to Mount Druitt.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many seats did the Liberal Party take?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Senator Forshaw, you do not particularly like the fact that right across New South Wales there was a swing, and there was a swing against the Labor Party in their own heartland. Mount Druitt for example: almost 1½ per cent. In Mulgoa, Karen Chijoff: a swing of almost eight per cent. Andy Rohan in the seat of Smithfield: almost 10½ per cent to the Liberal Party. And I have to say: how pleasing was it in the seats, in the Illawarra, of Wollongong and Keira to see, after preferences were distributed, the ALP suffer a swing against them.

As Peter Debnam said on election night, the people of New South Wales chose to give the Labor Party one last chance even though this government is so grossly incompetent at many, many levels. The assumption of course, Senator Forshaw, is that just because a government is incompetent and unpopular the electorate will not throw them out. You have to have an effective opposition—and I would remember that, Senator Forshaw, in the months to come.

There have been some quite ridiculous claims made in the media recently about how the New South Wales opposition lost the election because of the Work Choices legislation introduced by the Howard government. I strongly support Work Choices. It is an important piece of legislation for continued growth and prosperity in Australia. If Work Choices were to be reversed, it would be the first reversal in 25 years of a major economic reform in this country. I think it is important that we stand firm against the Labor and union onslaught in this area. It would otherwise send a message to the international community that we have given up on economic reform—in particular, continued reform—and, in the process, say to the international community, ‘It is too hard to continue.’

I believe Work Choices is good for the future of this country. There have been some unfair allegations that it is unfair. What on earth is unfair about the fact that we have the lowest unemployment level in 32 years? What is unfair about the fact that we have the lowest level of industrial disputation since 1913? What is unfair about the growth in real wages?

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nothing.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Parry. The opposition to Work Choices is not driven out of concern for workers and their families, although this is the label used by those who attack us; it is driven out of a desire to re-establish union power over the industrial relations system of this nation. If Labor are elected at the end of the year, there will be wall-to-wall Labor governments in Australia. There will be no checks and balances. There will be a union dominated government.

But, of course, that is what the Labor Party want. Greg Combet let it out when he made the comment that what the Labor Party want to see in Australia is a return to union domination. How many former presidents of the ACTU do we have in federal parliament? There is Jennie George, Martin Ferguson and Simon Crean. We now have Mr Shorten joining us and Doug Cameron, and I am sure that Mr Combet wants to abandon the union movement because he wants a cosy little seat in parliament. One by one, they are coming into federal parliament. This is at a time when less than 20 per cent of the private workforce is a member of the union.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What percentage are lawyers?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Forshaw, all of you over there are ex-union people.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am a lawyer as well.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are a lawyer as well! Let us just be clear about this: the criticism of Work Choices has absolutely nothing to do with a so-called compassion for the workers but more to do with a desire to re-establish union power over the industrial relations system of this country.

I do not believe that Work Choices played a major role in the election result, despite the obvious scare campaign that was run by the New South Wales Labor Party and their union backers. The Australian Labor Party would like to roll back this highly successful legislation. As I have said, this is a dangerous prospect. Of course, the reason for this roll-back is that the ALP is hopelessly beholden to the trade union movement. There is little wonder at that since the trade union movement has donated over $47 million to the ALP since 1995. As I said, at a time when union membership comprises barely 17 per cent of the private sector workforce, unions now have more control over the Labor Party than ever before. Of the 86 ALP caucus members, 41 are former union officials. Of the 32 members of the ALP frontbench, 17 are former union officials. Of the 28 ALP senators in this place, 18 are former union officials. The record speaks for itself. Thankfully, the diversity of the backgrounds on this side of the Senate ensures that we bring a much broader experience to the debate.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, of course, Senator Parry brings a very diverse experience to the Senate. I conclude by saying that I am sure that the Labor Party—

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Forshaw interjecting—

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, of course, Senator Forshaw. Would you like me to continue about the other seats that suffered swings against the Labor Party? You just have to go down the list to see that in all seats right across New South Wales there was a swing against the Labor Party. In the end, Labor might take comfort by coming in here and saying that it was all about Work Choices, but I think that they have to seriously look at just how successful this policy has been. In the end, it had absolutely nothing to do with their so-called concern about the workers of Australia and a lot more to do with their job in parliament.