John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

on the Australian waterfront was broken in 1998, and I make no apology for breaking the power of those unions that were destroying the international competitiveness of this economy. We moved from an hourly crane rate of 17 to crane rates of 27, and Labor would reverse that.

What is really at stake in this industrial relations debate is the determination of Labor to go back in time. What is at stake here is the refusal of the current Leader of the Opposition to show the courage that Tony Blair showed to the British trade union movement when he became the leader of the British Labour Party. He said: ‘You cannot go back. The changes of the Thatcher government are here to stay because they are good for Great Britain.’

Let me say this: the changes we have made ought to stay because they are good for Australia’s future. I say to those who sit opposite: if you want to deliver a mortal blow to the Australian economy then you should persist with your policy of turning back industrial relations reform and, if you are elected as the government of this country and you turn back those industrial relations reforms, history in the future will record that you have done an enormous disservice to the working men and women of this country.

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