Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the fact that over 42,000 working days have been lost due to strikes and industrial action in the first three months of this year, which is almost as many as were lost in the entire previous 12 months. Would the Prime Minister explain to the House why there has been such a significant increase in strikes and industrial action under this Labor government?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When you are dealing with enterprise bargaining, it follows that these things come in seasons and in sequence. Obviously there will be tips up and tips down in the level of industrial activity. That is the first point. The second point is this: those opposite, having had 12 years to act on the undersupply of skilled labour in this market, should have thought clearly what the consequences were for the economy overall. After all, they received 20 warnings from the Reserve Bank of Australia about infrastructure bottlenecks and skill shortages. They failed to act systematically, and as a result we have these factors at work in the economy today. As a result of that, it does alter the overall bargaining equation. We believe, through the industrial relations system that the government is introducing based on the dual principles of fairness and flexibility, that we will have at its core productivity based wage increases—best for the economy, best for workers, best for global competitiveness. If those opposite, after 12 years, could not act more effectively on providing enough skills for the economy given its long-term needs, then they should hang their heads in shame.