Page 3821 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 October 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
were so many ordinary workers, smiling and looking excited about the changes. Then, this morning, we find out that this was because they did not know their faces were being put to this purpose. One of the workers, I am told, thought he was participating in a campaign to improve health and safety in the workplace. It would seem that a culture of deceit and deception in the workplace is already starting.
The extravagance of this public advertising campaign is one thing. But if the government has expressed such a commitment to ensuring that the community understands the effect of these changes that they are willing to spend over one million of taxpayers’ dollars a day on disseminating information throughout the community, then you would think that they would be willing to allow the public a worthwhile opportunity to express their reaction to the changes.
Indeed, we thought this would be so, when, in August, workplace relations minister Kevin Andrews expressed the view that there would be an extensive Senate-based inquiry into the change. However, this excitement was squashed when the terms of this allowable inquiry were announced. The underlying hand of John Howard was made clear. The inquiry process would be carefully controlled and the major contentious issues would be ruled out of the inquiry’s scope.
For example, the blacklist included suspension of bargaining period, remedies for unprotected industrial action, reform of unfair dismissal arrangements, award simplifications, freedom of association and right of entry for employee representatives. On the top of this list, which essentially shuts out any investigation of the WorkChoices reform program, the committee was given a deadline of 22 November, that is, two weeks, to examine the most comprehensive attack package on workers’ rights which we have seen.
This strategy is indicative of the Howard government’s entire approach to public consultation since taking control over both houses of federal parliament. What they simply do not understand is that their control of the legislature does not entitle them to the control of the hearts and minds of Australian workers. Australians will defend their right to enjoy a free and fair workplace and will undertake numerous strategic options to ensure this basic right is protected. The Howard government may have the capability to cut short any kind of legislative scrutiny, but they will not silence their critics simply by cutting short committee hearings and spending the war chest on fancy ads and glossy magazines.
These reforms will speak for themselves, and our community will not be fooled. In particular, I have great faith in the willingness of the Canberra community to unite in their opposition to these workplace changes. This will be especially important given the expressed intention of the Howard government to use the territories power and thus make the Canberra community a collective guinea pig, which will feel the impact of these changes immediately upon the legislation’s passage through the federal parliament. This situation is unacceptable. Representatives of this community cannot and should not sit idly by while the rights and conditions of community workers are stripped away to satisfy a federal government agenda which up to 80 per cent of Canberrans have expressed their disdain for.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .