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 his announcement of ‘strike watch’. Instead of just watching, will the Prime Minister call on the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association to end this damaging Qantas strike action?

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

I would have thought that the member for Curtin would have listened to my answer yesterday which said that the current action, which is protected industrial action, occurs under their existing legislation. Therefore, under those circumstances, what should they have done with their laws in the past—under that logic—to have prevented this protected industrial action? I would suggest that those opposite reflect long and hard on the laws under which this protected industrial action is occurring. Secondly, what I would say is that the Australian government of course urges all parties engaging in industrial disputation to exercise restraint. These are difficult times for people to negotiate their way through collective agreements which are up for renegotiation. We all have aggregate and macroeconomic responsibilities as well. But, on the question of this particular matter and the circumstances under which this protected industrial action occurs, I would have thought that the shadow minister for workplace relations would have known what her own laws were.

The last thing I would say is this: it would be very useful, if the member for Curtin asked another question on this, to clarify once and for all whether, if and when those opposite are returned to political office as the government of Australia, they will restore Work Choices. Will they restore AWAs? The position we were left with as of the last time this matter was debated in this chamber was a clear understanding, here in this chamber, that Work Choices was on its way back. Let us have some clarity from them on Work Choices; let us have some clarity from them on budget discipline; let us have some clarity from them on the question of the emissions-trading scheme; let us have some clarity from them on the question of means testing when it comes to income support payments; let us have, for once in the period that they have been in opposition, clarity on a core policy challenge for the future. On this, as with everything else, they are six of one and half a dozen of the other, are on both sides of the fence and cannot make up their mind.