Page 652 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 28 March 2006
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doubt, maintain a responsive and sensible welfare safety net but there must be ways to assist the business sector to open up more flexible and responsive employment options.
A poignant issue is that the federal government is prepared to tackle one of the most difficult problems faced in a generation—unemployment. The fact that around 600,000 children are growing up in homes where parents do not currently engage in any form of work is a diabolical statistic. There could be no member in this Assembly who would agree that this situation should continue. If there is an opinion otherwise, it would signify that some members would rather pursue a campaign that seeks to disrupt, rather than recognise that, in tandem, the Work Choices and welfare-to-work reforms are designed to complement and combat outdated systems that in no way assist our economy to continue to grow and provide productive jobs for people who wish to participate.
The Liberal opposition recognises that a combination of a feeling of achievement, motivation and the imparting of a strong work ethic to children are the key components at the heart of the federal government’s efforts to rejuvenate any ageing legislation that impedes employment growth. Contrary to any efforts by some groups to distort the fact, support will be offered to eligible families faced with difficult circumstances. That is interesting. We need to get the facts on record and not take notice of hearsay and what we think might happen; we need to know what is happening. It is all hearsay so far. We must seek ways to actively encourage people to seek employment that matches their capacity to contribute effectively in the work force. A balance can be achieved in this sense, and this reflects a wider community sentiment that cannot be disputed.
Whenever you require legitimate government support it should be there but, on the other hand, we should all be contributing productively in the spirit of building our community and strengthening our economy. There could be no member in this Assembly who would agree that this situation should continue. If there is an opinion otherwise, I think a balance can be achieved with what we are doing on this committee. We have simply jumped the gun. Nowhere have we seen the effects of the legislation. How could we? Turning to page 67 of the report, I quote paragraph 5.12. It says:
Time and evidence are needed to reliably and validly determine the effects on working families in the ACT of reforms to the industrial relations system and to confirm or deny the speculative effects mentioned above.
I have no problem whatsoever with the establishment of this committee. What I called for was in line with the Democrats’ minority report from the Senate, which said that evidence to the committee made it clear that the effects of the legislation will not be felt until after the next election in late 2007; 25 to 30 per cent of all workers will remain under state systems until then. There will be transitional arrangements and continuing validity of many existing agreements which only expire in 2008. What are we doing? I put it to you here that we are simply wasting taxpayers’ money. I asked this committee to suspend its work until we got the empirical evidence, then resume and continue. I have no problem with that.
I have been quoted as saying it is a furphy. Of course, Mr Gentleman very selectively plucked out or cherry picked things I have said. I am standing here for the rights of the Canberra community, not covering my own backside wanting to continue with my pay increase, thank you. It is absolute nonsense that this committee continues to run in the
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