Page 712 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 24 March 1993
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MADAM SPEAKER: Order! I have called for order, Mr Moore. I expect order. Continue, Mr Moore.
MR MOORE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I went on to say that it was an issue that needed some debate in the public arena instead of being slipped into a piece of legislation without any public airing at all. After raising the issue of choice and the ability to choose whether or not to be a member of the union, I stated again, on page 5124 of the Hansard:
I make no bones about it; I oppose compulsory unionism.
At that time Mr Berry interjected to say, "It does not exist", and no doubt he will continue to take that type of approach; but, of course, anybody who has been involved in unions knows that there is more than one way to deal with compulsion. Mr Stefaniak was not re-elected. I even went on to say:
If Mr Stefaniak can convince me by the middle of next year -
to put it into perspective, that is six months ago -
and after some debate in the public arena on this, that this is the appropriate place, then I would reconsider it; but at this stage ... I feel obliged to oppose this amendment.
I gave the Liberals a clear indication that I would reconsider the Bill. They have had over a year to do that and have still done nothing, and that is when I decided that I would take action to see what I could do to end compulsory unionism. The press release that Trevor Kaine put out, which was entitled something like, "Moore does Back-flip", was not only churlish but also wrong.
Mr Kaine: It was dead right.
MR MOORE: It was wrong. Madam Speaker, apart from the mirth in the Assembly, people feel uncomfortable, for their various reasons, about my doing the deal. Labor members are uncomfortable because they know that they are going to lose this; Liberal members are uncomfortable because it was very clearly set out that I would support their position, and they did not get around to doing it. I hear a chuckle from, of all people, the ex-shadow Minister for Industrial Relations who had the opportunity for over a year to put this up and to win it. He did not do it, Madam Speaker, and we can see what has happened. Perhaps with their new shadow Minister for Industrial Relations something might be done.
Mr Kaine: You opposed us then and you have given no indication until now that you have changed your mind, Michael. Do not equivocate.
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, Trevor Kaine interjects that I gave no indication that I had changed my mind. Just that minute, Madam Speaker, I quoted from the Hansard to show Trevor Kaine where it was recorded. That man now finds that he has remained in ignorance. He was not prepared to do something about it. That indicates his lack of ability to do anything. He is the victim of lack of concept, and he will probably continue with it.
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