Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Can I say once again to the people of Australia: we did not undertake Work Choices because it was popular. We did not undertake tax reform because it was popular. We did not balance the budget because it was popular. Indeed, Senator Lundy and her crew tried to knock down the front doors of Parliament House, if I recall, with the trade union officials at the time. We do not go to the Australian people saying: ‘Look at our policies. Look how popular we are trying to make ourselves.’ What we say to the Australian people is: ‘You can trust us to make the tough decisions for the benefit and the future of this country.’ That is why we undertake the sorts of campaigns and the sorts of policies for tax reform and welfare to work reform—and I note, by the way, the Labor Party are now trying to say that they really do support welfare to work, but when you look at the detail they do not.

The simple fact is we have taken the tough decisions. So the senator’s concern that Work Choices may somehow be unpopular within the community is of course, if your assertion is right, disappointing for the government, but we do not undertake these changes in policies to make ourselves popular today. We do it as an investment for the future of this great country and for the working men and women and the young people of this country. Might I add that one of the statistics I was able to give yesterday on Work Choices was a 25 per cent reduction in the very long-term unemployed. They are the sorts of results you get when you take the public’s— (Time expired)