Senator Eric Abetz

Following the Government’s failure to release the details of the scheduled review of the Fair Work Act, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Senator Eric Abetz has asked the Productivity Commission to conduct the review.

“Employers and employees as well as the Coalition have been calling for the review to be brought on for months. Now, less than a month from the scheduled commencement date there are still no details on the table,” Senator Abetz said today.

“We have long said that The Productivity Commission is best placed to perform the review and so I’ve made the request.”

“The Minister committed to releasing the details of this review by the end of November[1] but is yet to release those details.”

“Should the Government allow the Productivity Commission to conduct the inquiry; the review would be in line with the Explanatory Memorandum of the Fair Work Act 2009 in relation to the post-implementation review.”

…This review will provide a comprehensive analysis of how the Government's new workplace relations system is operating and its impact on employers, employees, the community and governments. The review will assess if the provisions in the Bill have led to any differential impacts across regions, industries and occupations.

“Labor’s failure to release the details of the review in good time before the 1 January 2012 commencement date is just another example of a dropped ball.”

“If Labor is serious they will allow the Productivity Commission to conduct the review,” Senator Abetz concluded.

[1] Senate Estimates, October 2011