The Coalition’s Policy to Improve the Fair Work Laws will improve the prospects of higher real wages for Australian workers, lift standards of behaviour in trade unions, make it easier for small business to employ people and lift Australia’s productive capacity.
Our policy is part of the Coalition’s Real Solutions Plan to create one million more jobs, lift real wages and have more competitive Australian businesses.
Simon Sheikh's wild claim on radio 2CN yesterday that the Labor Party had withdrawn its assertion that he was a member for four years is not surprisingly contradicted today by NSW ALP Secretary, Sam Dastyari.
Yesterday's claim by Mr Sheikh is in the same vein as his equally improbable claim on 12 April, also on 2CN, that The Australian was retracting the same contention about him being a member of the Labor Party for four years.
It’s always good to attend these PIR conferences which have become a cornerstone event in the workplace relations space. As I read through the programme I noted that as always you have a very balanced attendee list with representatives like Mr Shorten and myself but also union bosses.
It’s a true shame that this isn’t a two way street. That unions refuse to invite the other side of politics represents a regrettable mindset. That said, when you have unions like the Maritime Union celebrating 140 years of union militancy – read illegality and thuggery – I’m not sure that’s something that anyone would seek to be involved in.
“The ugly and dishonest campaign techniques of GetUp! have been soundly rejected by the Tasmanian people and need to be repudiated by the ALP,” Senator Abetz said today.
“GetUp! has been exposed as engaging in dishonest and underhand tactics in virtually every election in which they are involved.”
“If Christianity goes, the whole of our culture goes. Then you must start painfully, again”.
So opined - that great author TS Eliott. And he was right.
Reports today that militant union boss Joe McDonald has been allowed to re-join the Labor Party six years after he was expelled by then Labor Leader Kevin Rudd is to be condemned and Ms Gillard must intervene.
In 2007, Ms Gillard made the iron clad commitment that: “We’ve got zero tolerance for this kind of conduct. We’ve demonstrated that with Joe McDonald and in Government we’ll make sure that there is zero tolerance for unlawful conduct or thuggery.” (Julia Gillard, Channel Nine – Today Show, 22/06/2007)
Senate Opposition Leader, Senator Abetz, today said the Gillard Government was giving up on accountability by failing to answer questions placed on notice at Additional Senate Estimates in February.
Figures supplied by the Senate Clerk’s office show that 58% of questions on notice are still outstanding after two months, despite a requirement that all questions be answered by 12 April.
“Greens Leader, Christine Milne, must exercise leadership and require her star Senate candidate, Simon Sheikh, to make a detailed public statement about his membership of the Labor Party,” Senator Abetz said today.
“Mr Sheikh has been floundering for days over whether he was a Labor Party member for one, two or more years.”
Senate Opposition Leader, Eric Abetz, today said that ACT Greens' candidate, Simon Sheikh's account of his membership of the Labor Party was crumbling in the face of mounting evidence.
On Friday afternoon Mr Sheikh made the startling claim on 2CN that The Australian was going to correct its assertion that he had been a Labor member for four years.
“Acting Workplace Relations Minister Kate Ellis who’s been left in charge in Bill Shorten’s absence is sadly out of her depth when it comes to the Workplace Relations portfolio if today’s media release by her is any indication,” Senator Abetz said today.
“Revelations in today's Australian that Simon Sheikh was an active member of the Labor Party for four years, prior to resigning to head up GetUp!, raise questions about his and GetUp's honesty and integrity,” Senator Abetz said today.
A statement on Mr Sheikh's website says: "When Simon was a teenager, Simon was a member of the Labor Party for a year. As happens with many people, he quickly became disillusioned and left."
Eric Abetz has been a Liberal Senator for Tasmania since 1994 and has served in a range of Leadership, Ministerial and Shadow Ministerial roles.