Senator Eric Abetz

The Coalition has clearly indicated there will be NO major changes to the GST distribution in Tasmania.

To add to this we have stated numerous times that we are committed to horizontal fiscal equalisation.

“Tasmanians won’t fall for Labor’s latest act of desperation with their campaign of pedalling lies over GST funding,” Senator Abetz said today.

“Having suffered from State Labor lies that they would do “no deal with the Greens” before the 2009 State election and the Federal Labor lies over “No Carbon Tax” before the 2010 Federal Election,, Tasmanians will rightly view this double act of Senator Wong and Premier Giddings with some cynicism.”

Bill Shorten’s announcement today expanding rights for union bosses even further seeking increased  access to workplaces, including forcing employers to pay for helicopter joy flights for union bosses to fly them out to offshore oil rigs, is just another broken promise from Labor in an effort to appease the union bosses.

In 2007, Julia Gillard promised not to change right of entry laws and said “I'm happy to do whatever you would like. If you'd like me to pledge to resign, sign a contract in blood, take a polygraph, bet my house on it, give you my mother as a hostage, whatever you'd like”.

Bill Shorten’s imminent appointments to the Fair Work Commission could damage the standing and independence of the tribunal and undermine the appointments process by laying it open to political interference.

Using the cover of some of the more benign recommendations from the Fair Work Review Mr Shorten has also legislated to create two new positions at the industrial tribunal. These would slot in at second and third place in the chain of command.