Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for her supplementary question. It does seem that the Liberal and National parties, at the very least, have not listened to the voices of the Australian people on this matter. It seems they just cannot quite commit themselves to vote for a new fair and balanced workplace relations system. Let me be clear about this. The alternative Leader of the Opposition, Mr Costello, has put his policy forward. The member for Higgins believes that the answer to the global financial crisis is Work Choices. This is what he said on the Today show on 5 March 2009 in answer to the question:

How would you fix it, that is, the GFC? You tell Australia right now.

Mr Costello replied:

It—

the government—

has to reconsider its proposal in relation to industrial relations.

It did not stop there. There was a rejoinder by Senator Boswell, who agrees with the member for Higgins. (Time expired)