Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Evans.

Opposition members interjecting—

You are a long way away, Mr President.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can still see you, Senator Marshall, and I can hear those people on my left, which is most unfortunate because I need to hear your question.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline to the Senate the benefits to the economy of the Fair Work Act?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to report on the progress of the Fair Work Act and thank Senator Marshall for his question. The Senate would be aware that, following very lengthy public consideration of the issues involved, in 2009 the federal government returned fairness and balance to the industrial relations landscape in Australia when we introduced the Fair Work Act. With its strong provisions to regulate industrial relations and restore fairness the act is working well and delivering low levels of industrial disputation and high levels of agreement making.

I am pleased that thousands of employers and their employees are getting on with the business of bargaining under the Fair Work Act. The total number of enterprise agree­ments reached is at a record level. Almost 24,000 current agreements are in place, covering 2.4 million Australian employees. Interestingly, during this period wages growth in the private sector has remained constrained. The recent wage price index figure shows a continued trend of contained growth. The wage price index for the March 2011 quarter rose by 0.8 percent, which made an annual increase of 3.8 percent. Also, the levels of industrial disputation continue to fall, following the long-term trend. ABS March quarter data confirms that continuing trend. The number of days lost in the March quarter was down again from the previous December quarter.

In addition to delivering fairness in the workplace the Fair Work Act is seeing reduced levels of industrial disputation and constrained wages growth but record agreement making among employers and employees. By all of the independent evidence the Fair Work Act is delivering good and fair outcomes in the context of good economic progress.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I thank the Minister for that answer. Despite these obvious benefits, is the Minister aware of any data or other evidence to support moving away from the Fair Work Act?'

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I indicated in my earlier answer, all the evidence points to the act delivering the sorts of outcomes that the parliament would expect. It is delivering low levels of disputation at the same time that it is providing employees with important rights and obligations that allow them to be treated fairly and safely in their work places. This is in stark contrast to the regime of the previous, Liberal government—the regime of Work Choices—where rights and conditions of ordinary working people were being downgraded and ripped away.

It is interesting to note that Senator Abetz and others have rejoined the debate on industrial relations in recent days thanks to Mr Reith but they are starting to talk about flexibility. 'Flexibility' is code for reducing wages and conditions and removing rights to unfair dismissal protection. This is, again, the traditional Liberal Party agenda of reducing rights and conditions for— (Time expired)

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Again, I thank the minister for that answer to the question. Maybe he could expand on his finishing comments. Is the minister aware of alternative policy positions in this regard?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I understand it there are two alternative policy positions. They both relate to downgrading workers' wages and condi­tions and removing protections. There is the half of the Liberal Party who believe in being honest about that and advocating that at the next election, and the other half who say, 'Let's not talk about it; let's wait until after the election. If we win we'll introduce again the Work Choices agenda.'

Peter Reith belled the cat. He also learned that Tony Abbott cannot be trusted: 'I will vote for you mate but—' What we now know is that the Liberal Party is having an ideological debate.

Honourable members interjecting.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, resume your seat for a moment. Both sides! Senator Evans you have 17 seconds remaining to answer the question.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian people will work out—like Peter Reith did—that Tony Abbott cannot be trusted. He said that Work Choices was dead, cremated and buried, but we know that it is alive, kicking and back. The only argument in the Liberal Party is whether to come clean about their real intentions. (Time expired)

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.