Senator Eric Abetz

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE – THE UNION BOSS WONDERLAND

ADDRESS TO THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP PIR CONFERENCE, CANBERRA 

Introduction

Just imagine, getting paid to go to the gym, followed by having a relaxing massage followed by a shower. Well you won't need to imagine for much longer. Thanks to the union bosses and the Fair Work Act those days might not be that far away. So, Innes, I think you applied for the wrong job albeit I for one congratulate you and wish you well on this, your  first official day on the ground.

"Where we Stand"
Address to the Workplace Relations Policy Forum,
Victorian Liberal Party State Council

Workplace relations in Australia has been front and centre in the media in recent months. From Craig Thomson to Asciano and from Qantas to George Calombaris – with the problems of the Fair Work Act coming to the surface.

 I have no doubt that more problems will emerge in coming months.

Address to the Mainstream Policy Forum, Sydney

Introduction

‘…the wise man built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundations on the rock…

The foolish man … built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.

What a pitiful contribution we have just witnessed from the Leader of the Australian Greens. He spoke about anything and everything but why he and the Australian Greens are going to contribute to this ruthless guillotining of 16 pieces of legislation. Senator Brown can talk and talk and talk as much as he likes, but he used all of his time without once seeking to justify why the democratic process of this chamber should be curtailed; why 16 bills should be guillotined and why some of those bills should be dealt with without a single word of debate being spoken. This is because, let us make no mistake, some of these bills will only have 10 minutes allocated to them.

I move:

That the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2012, as passed by the House of Representatives on 16 February 2012, be referred to the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 8 May 2012.