Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Western Australians are wondering why it is that this new Labor government has deserted them. Why is it that this new Labor government has deserted them? During the course of this week, we will be debating a number of bills. One critical bill will be about reforms to workplace relations which will cost jobs, undermine Western Australian businesses and make it harder for the Western Australian resources sector. People in Western Australia are wondering what they've done to deserve this from the new Labor government. As we've heard from coalition senators over the last few weeks, this is legislation that is radical, this is legislation that is rushed and this is legislation that will cost jobs and undermine business confidence in my home state of Western Australia.

And you don't have to believe me or my warnings, or the warnings of coalition senators, about this rushed and radical industrial relations bill. You only need to think about the comments that the Reserve Bank governor himself made just last week, drawing a very, very important contrast between the need for flexibility in our workplace relations as opposed to rigidity—the rigidity that the industrial relations reforms being prosecuted by Labor will bring to the workplace relations system in my home state of Western Australia. The Governor of the Reserve Bank said:

… we will be better off if there is flexibility in our labour and product markets so that we can respond quickly and effectively.

Those aren't my words, but the words of the Reserve Bank governor. He is saying that Australia's prosperity is built on the back of a flexible workplace relations systems and not the rigid system that this radical and rushed legislation will do.

And don't just believe me. Here we are with the Australian Financial Review saying, 'The Albanese— (Time expired)