Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I direct my question to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Minister, what has been the effect of the government’s industrial relations policy, Work Choices, upon job creation? In particular, what impact has the removal of Mr Keating’s so-called unfair dismissal laws had on the level of employment, especially in relation to small business? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies that would make small business go back to the days of paying ‘go away money’?

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

I thank Senator Boswell for his question and acknowledge his longstanding and unwavering support for small business, particularly in his home state of Queensland. We all remember the doomsday predictions of those opposite, and their union masters, about the effect Work Choices would have on employment. In the words of union heavyweight, now Labor candidate, Bill Shorten, Work Choices was ‘a green light for mass sackings’. As is usual for Labor, their predictions are wrong.

I can inform Senator Boswell, and especially those opposite, that according to today’s official employment figures a record 241,300 Australians got jobs, of which 85 per cent are full-time jobs, since Work Choices came into law. The unemployment rate today has hit 4.5 per cent, a 30-year low. We have achieved that by removing Labor’s job-destroying laws. But guess what Labor are promising—or should I say threatening—to do? They want to put those job-destroying laws right back into place. They are promising—or threatening—to rip up Work Choices. They are threatening to rip up 241,300 Australians’ jobs and they are threatening to make small business pay ‘go away money’ again. Why will Labor do it? Because the trade unions have told them to do it.

One needs look no further than in today’s Australian to get an understanding of the Labor Party’s approach to jobs. When Mr Garrett was asked about the job implications of Labor’s environmental policies, his answer was that was ‘hypothetical’. All of a sudden the jobs in the coal and resource sector are all hypothetical. Tell the workers there that. Their jobs would be hypothetical if Labor got their way. To make his point even more strongly about jobs for the future, guess what Mr Garrett said about Labor’s grand plan for jobs?

“We will continue to work with all sectors of the economy, particularly—

guess which one: agriculture, manufacturing?—

the unions,” Mr Garrett said.

The unions are now all of a sudden a sector of the economy. Under Labor, we will see jobs growth in the trade union sector. There will be a trade union official at every desk, at every factory bench, on every tractor around the country, in very bus. That is the way they are going to create employment—by having a new revitalised trade union sector.

While Labor talks about hypothetical jobs, while Labor talks about the trade union movement as being a sector of the economy which may provide jobs growth, can I inform the Australian people that the Howard government will continue taking the difficult and tough decisions to build our nation with jobs and jobs growth. Because of the important decisions and tough decisions we have taken, we now have a 30-year low in unemployment of only 4.5 per cent. I invite Labor to get on board with our strategy. (Time expired)

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. Can the minister confirm whether there has been any change in policy on unfair dismissals from one Labor leader to the next?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! That is not an allowable supplementary question.