MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE - Workplace Relations

March 19, 2008

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter of public importance. When we look at the business report card on the performance of this government we need to look no further than the plunge in business and consumer confidence to actually have an idea of what business is saying and thinking about the performance of this government, because confidence is a foundation stone.

The government reminds us regularly about the decision the people of Australia made on 24 November. We accept that and we acknowledge that, but business is sending another message to this government. It is sending the message that it does not like the sorts of decisions it sees being made in this place and that they are having an adverse effect on its capacity to be confident and, in being so, to offer opportunity. We hear the members opposite talk long and loud on the issue of terms and conditions relating to people’s employment. But that is the whole point—they are talking about terms and conditions relating to people’s employment, not unemployment. We see around the country jobs for people who want them. Yes, in some areas we have more to do, but under the coalition government we saw the creation of jobs, the creation of opportunities and the building of a stronger community through what those opportunities provided and meant to the people who got those jobs. With this loss of confidence perhaps we are seeing a turning of the tide. Perhaps we are seeing a real watershed in the future of this country. It was interesting to see in the Australian today a little editorial that said:

So the government has as a badge of honour the status of being the first government in 30 years to wind the reform process backwards.

Mr Sullivan interjecting—

Mr «HARTSUYKER» —We hear you trotting out your tired lines. When I became a member of parliament I had seen in previous years young people without any hope or opportunity. They were in a state of despair, but the improvements in the economic standards in this country meant that they did have an opportunity and they were getting jobs. It was a very positive experience for them and a very positive experience for the community. But we see that perhaps about to change.

What is this government going to do? First step: destroy confidence. Next step: destroy jobs. Members opposite will not be able to spin it to people who lose their jobs because of the decisions they make in this place. They will know that they are out of work, and no amount of spin from the Prime Minister and the Treasurer is going to save that. They will know, and you will pay for that. You will pay for the decisions that you make in this House if they are not correct. I maintain you are taking this country down the wrong path, and the members on this side of the House maintain that you are taking this country down the wrong path. Just as this government stood on its record, you will be judged by your record. We already see falling confidence. We already see businesses being less likely to hire than they once were. We already see the fact that the lack of both consumer and business confidence is going to be translated in the weeks and months ahead into changes to the way that these firms approach the hiring of labour.

There is no fairness in unemployment. You may come here and rant and rave about various terms and conditions, but there is certainly no fairness in unemployment whatsoever. If you talk to someone who has lost their job, they do not see the fairness in unemployment. They would rather have a job than no job at all. That is perhaps a concept that is foreign to many of the members opposite, but it is an important concept. We need a strong small business sector. We see this government eroding small business confidence and eroding opportunities. (Time expired)