Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Many on the other side cannot see it, but some can. For those who can see, this is nothing but a return to union power that will cost jobs. That is a fact. We are at a time when jobs are being shed because of the economic crisis, and here we have a piece of legislation that is that big and that thick and it will accelerate the process and make it worse. Those on the other side who cannot see it never will see it because they just take their instructions from the union movement. There are some, like Senator Sherry, who has been persistently interjecting during my speech, who can see it quite well, who can see that jobs will be shed because the flexibility in the workplace will no longer be there, because of the compulsory arbitration being introduced in this bill and because of the pattern bargaining effect this bill will have.