Page 780 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 24 March 1993
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base for industrial relations. We had the ideological answers to that, but the changeover would have taken some time and would have involved some assistance from the Liberals if we were to pursue a course consistent with our commitment to industrial justice.
I raise again an issue I raised in a speech I gave earlier in relation to unemployment. The Liberals preach doom and gloom. There is no point in it. It does no good for anybody. Business wants a bit of a kick-start.
Mr Kaine: Why do you not kick-start them?
MR BERRY: You are doing everything you can to stop us. They know and understand the stability which is provided by the Federal Industrial Relations Act. They know and understand that Labor in the Territory is about sensible industrial relations, about industrial relations which will assist in the development of this Territory. They also know, more now than ever, that the Liberals, who in the past have claimed to represent them, are just a big wet blanket. All they do is moan and groan about Labor's efforts in the Territory, and they seek to prevent any progress in order that they can feed off it politically. They do it right across the spectrum of those portfolio areas they claim to represent.
I say to the Liberals that it is about time they woke up to themselves. If they want to slow the pace of progress, they are going the right way about it - doom and gloom. If they want to get on the gravy train with us, get on with us. We are on our way to better things. The whole of the Territory is on the way to better things. We will leave you behind. If you want to be left behind, stay behind, but the doom and gloom is not going to help you at all. We are happy to have you along with us, provided you just sit there quietly and watch us in action. It will be action that you will find upsetting. I know that it will not help to recharge your batteries for re-election, but we will be on the way.
Mr De Domenico, I understand why you are upset, but I am prepared to keep upsetting you because we need to make sure that we continue with stability in industrial relations. We need to make sure that our interstate counterparts are aware of our position. We need to assist where we can in the development of industrial conditions in other States which might equal or even better those that exist here in order that we have something to pursue. The role of trade unionism is an important one and we will continue to foster it because we know that it is the best way of workers being represented in an industrial sense. It is sensible for government to deal with workers through their elected union officials. All of that is part of the large parcel, the big picture, of how we deal with industrial relations in the ACT and how our Federal colleagues will continue to deal with it. In that sense, the biggest message to the conservative States from the last election is never again to attempt to divide people as you attempted to divide them with your industrial relations policy. Even Jeff Kennett is going cold on it.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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