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

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Will the minister inform the Senate how the Howard government’s workplace reforms are delivering higher wages and more jobs for Australian workers? Is the minister aware of any threats to future wage and job growth?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for her question. She really is an excellent contributor to this place and is always willing to ask the probing questions. Since the introduction of Work Choices we have seen over 205,000 jobs created—184,000 of those full time. And real wages continue to grow while disputes continue to decline. This has delivered real benefits for the people of Australia. For families it means improved wages and salaries, more jobs and more opportunities. And school leavers today are practising their job applications, not unemployment benefit applications as they did under Labor.

The Howard government is about incentives. It is about giving people the chance to earn more and about people being able to determine their own future. It is about reward for effort. It is not about Labor’s lowest common denominator approach which saw one million unemployed and wages stagnant. Yet at every turn Mr Beazley and Labor opposed our reforms that have turned Australia into the economic and job-creating powerhouse that she is today—be they industrial relations reform, tax reform, waterfront reform, every single budget, the abolition of Labor’s $96 billion debt or the abolition of the unfair dismissal laws. In every case the Labor Party have been wrong.

It is the racing season, I understand, and I would just ask honourable senators to consider if Mr Beazley were to be saddling up for the Melbourne Cup tomorrow. He would undoubtedly be riding some nag with the name No Ticker out of the union stable.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you could just imagine it: halfway down the straight, looking for riding instructions, Mr Beazley would be looking into the stand for Mr Combet, who would be waving his arms. So he would pull up the nag, look over to Mr Combet, get his instructions and—do you know what he’d do?—he would turn the nag around and run it back in a different direction. And I will tell you why: in November last year, when Mr Beazley was asked about his view on Work Choices, this is what he said:

... using the corporations power to do industrial relations legislation, that’s all wrong.

No ifs and buts:

... that’s all wrong.

But on Friday, the Leader of the Opposition said that using the corporations power would be okay.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder why he has had this turnaround halfway down the track. You know why—because a fortnight ago Greg Combet said that it would be good—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is too much noise on my left. I remind senators that shouting across the chamber is disorderly.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Halfway through the ride, as I was saying—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. In terms of the procedure of this chamber, surely it would be appropriate to draw the minister’s attention to the fact that he is required to speak to the chair, not that end of the chamber.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can tell they are very sensitive, can’t you? Halfway down the track Mr Combet gave the instructions. One fortnight ago—only two weeks ago—Mr Combet said that the use of the corporations power in industrial relations would be a good thing. That is the reason—no other—that Mr Beazley has done this U-turn. This shows the Australian people clearly, yet again, that Mr Beazley will take all and every one of his policy directions from the ACTU. If he wants to be the Prime Minister of this country, he has to govern for all Australians and not just the ACTU.