Senator Eric Abetz

Labor’s big taxing; big spending budget provides an embarrassing confirmation that Julia Gillard’s so called “Modern Award” laws are a mess of confusion and uncertainty.

Budget documents have revealed that over $85 million dollars will need to be spent to try and cover up the modern award mess caused by Labor’s ‘Fair Work’ laws.

Shadow Minister for Employment & Workplace Relations, Senator Eric Abetz, said “This embarrassing admission makes a mockery of Julia Gillard’s claim that her new workplace laws would be simpler for workers and business.”

“If these laws are so simple, why is there a need to provide more money to educate workplaces? The answer is simple – these so-called ‘modern awards’ are nothing more than a complex and confusing morass of workplace rules.”

Senator Abetz referred to the Building Industry Award which still contains a clause for workers in a Tuberculosis Hospital, even though the last operating TB ward was closed in 1981.

“Julia Gillard’s one-size-fits-all ‘modern awards’ are nothing more than a return to tired old 1970’s style of workplace rules.

“No matter how much money Labor throws at the Modern Award Mess, it won’t go away.