Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition obviously does not want to listen, but many in industry are very determined and very supportive of Work Choices. Let me tell the House what Mr Bill Healey, the Director of the Australian Hotels Association, says:

WorkChoices will mean that business operators will have greater incentive to move out of the current one-size-fits-all award system and negotiate arrangements that are better suited to their business, the local economy and needs of the worker.

I am also asked by the member for Hasluck if small business is anxious about the prospect of having collective bargaining reimposed on them. They certainly are. Not only that, but there are 24,000 people currently employed in small business and the Leader of the Opposition will just take their AWAs and rip them up. As well as that, the 1.2 million small businesses know that the Leader of the Opposition plans to reintroduce unfair dismissal legislation onto 1.2 million small businesses, in stark contrast to what this government stands for with small business. It is no wonder, Mr Speaker, that the Leader of the Opposition proudly boasts—

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