Media Room
Rearranging the Deck Chairs Won’t Fix the Mess Monday, 12 December 2011 15:27
“The axing of Senator Evans from the Industrial Relations portfolio today by Julia Gillard and the elevation of Bill Shorten to the position as a reward for his part in the ‘faceless men’ coup that knifed Kevin Rudd in the back is a stark reminder that this is the way Labor does business,” Senator Abetz said today. “For months I have been calling on Labor to bring forward its review into the Fair Work Act and calling for the review to be conducted by the Productivity Commission, for months Senator Evans has just sat on his hands.”
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Address to Australian Mines and Metals Association National Conference - Perth 20th May 2010Thursday, 20 May 2010 16:28
It's truly a delight to be here today to speak at a forum organised by an industry organisation which isn't afraid to stand up and argue for the interest of its members - even if it does make them unpopular from time to time with the powers that be in Canberra. Because ultimately that's what industry organisations are all about - standing up for the interests of their industry. You had the guts to express your legitimate and now vindicated concerns about the CPRS. And now you are rightly speaking out against Labor's great big new tax on the mining industry. A tax which it is publicly claimed on one hand is somehow going to grow the mining industry (go figure). Yet on the other hand, even Ken Henry seems to privately agree is actually designed to slow the industry down. It's a wonderful gift to argue two completely contradictory points of view with a straight face. But given Climate Change is "the greatest moral challenge of our time", but we can defer action for 3 years, I shouldn't be surprised. I'm told by Labor we have a two-speed economy, and we have to get them synchronised. So true to Labor form, confronted with those that are well-off and those that are not so well-off, the option they take is to pull down the well-off rather than lifting the not so well-off - that is, according to Labor, the easiest way to provide equity is to shoot all the rich ones.
Labor Reshuffle a Vote of No Confidence in the Tasmanian Labor Senate TeamMonday, 12 December 2011 15:22
Julia Gillard’s reshuffle following the retirement of Tasmanian Senator, Senator Nick Sherry means that Tasmania now has no Labor Senator representing Tasmania in a senior role. “This is a vote of no confidence by Julia Gillard in the Tasmanian Labor Senate Team,” Senator Abetz said today.
Speech to Fair Work Summit May 17th 2010Tuesday, 18 May 2010 19:06
The organizers of this Conference are to be congratulated for the opportunity afforded to us to undertake a stock take of the Fair Work regime. I note that no-one from the Government will be contributing - it seems that Ms Gillard is most anxious to talk about the non-existent/dead WorkChoices rather than an analysis of her own system which bears a lot of Labor's and her own personal iconic hallmarks - rushed and the victim of overpromising and under delivering. And let's not forget the promise "No worker will be worse off". 10's of 100's of workers are worse off! And to combat this & we see the ACTU embarking on a wasteful campaign against the dead WorkChoices. I have a simple message for Ms Gillard and the ACTU - Australians and Australian workers are not interested in 2007 but in 2010 and beyond. And desperate attempts to run a scare campaign against WorkChoices won't alleviate the plight of workers in 2010 or & over the legacy of broken promises. Australian workers are interested in our plans for the future, not the mistakes of the past.
Overeem Whisky LaunchedThursday, 08 December 2011 18:00
Tasmania’s latest whisky – Overeem Whisky – produced by the OLD Hobart Distillery was launched tonight. Senator Eric Abetz, in officiating, praised the dedication, commitment and patience of Casey Overeem, the whisky’s maker.
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Address to NSW Industrial Relations Society 14th May 2010Tuesday, 18 May 2010 18:20
It's a delight to be with you and thanks for the invitation. Brad's kind invitation included the foreboding observation that amongst other things the attendance of the Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations "has always been a highlight of the conference." I trust that Brad can write the same for the introduction to the 2011 conference. By then I hope my description will have been shortened with the important removal of the frustrating word "shadow"! I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm addressing a group of fellow industrial relations "tragics" - whom I acknowledge from Judges to an Attorney-General, a Minister to elected officials to hired guns and the world of academia. Although I note you may be more "tragic" than me in that you eat, breathe and live workplace relations all day, every day, whereas I get some light relief through question time talking matters economic and other general issues in the broader public policy arena. Your individual specialist knowledge is undoubtedly better than mine - so please go easy!
Evans appears to support the Productivity Commission on the Fair Work ReviewWednesday, 07 December 2011 09:20
The Minister for Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans yesterday told the media that the review of the Fair Work Act: ...will be done by someone independent of government, independent of the department, and independent of trade unions and employers. So someone who can bring a fresh pair of eyes to the issues, and someone who will look at the evidence of what’s been working and what’s not working, and provide a report to government.
Speech Parliament - Senate Chamber 10/5/2010Wednesday, 12 May 2010 10:05
Senator Abetz :Trust is the key currency of politics, and unless you can be trusted to honour that to which you've committed to do, then, I've got to say, you're not going to obtain the enduring respect of the Australian people. Those prophetic words were spoken by no other than the Labor leader himself on 29 February 2008, some two years ago. Put simply, the Australian people no longer trust Labor, because Labor has not honoured the people of Australia by keeping its promises. Indeed, Labor discards its solemn promises as easily as we discard our used tissues: it spares them not another thought. The list of broken promises, this shameful record, must surely be vying for a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Who else could recklessly make so many inflated promises inflated both in number and actual size and then so dismissively walk away from them other than Labor, led by the promise-making, promise-breaking duo of Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard and, might I add, every single Labor member and senator in this place?
Heather RidoutTuesday, 06 December 2011 17:30
“I have had the great pleasure of working with Heather Ridout in over the last 8 years with her at the helm of the Australian Industry Group,” Senator Abetz said today. “Heather is a giant of Australian industry and has served in her role with distinction and respect.”
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