Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I support the nurses, teachers, firefighters, bus drivers and other public sector workers who are coming together in Sydney and other regional towns around New South Wales to speak out against the New South Wales Liberal government's drastic industrial relations laws.    The laws being introduced in New South Wales are straight out of the Liberal Party play book. They take away an employee's right to bargain and negotiate for a fair wage rise. The legislation in New South Wales will remove the power of an independent umpire, the Industrial Relations Commission, and give the Premier the power to strip public sector workers of their wages and conditions.

If any of this sounds familiar to those in this place it is because these laws are basically the Liberal Party's Work Choices mark 2. This should sound a warning to any worker who may be tempted to be taken in by Tony Abbott's new-found affection for workers and job security. There is no justification for these laws, and I send my support to those who held a rally today in Wollongong and who will be outside the New South Wales parliament registering their protest. My message to Tony Abbott—

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Throsby will refer to the Leader of the Opposition by his title and not by his name, and he will not talk me down in doing so.

Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My message to the member for Warringah is that he pick up the phone to the leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales and withdraw those laws. (Time expired)