“Minister Shorten’s silence on the unfair dismissal of Labor Senator Trish Crossin by the Prime Minister shows Labor’s hypocrisy at its ugly worst,” Senator Abetz said today.
“Whilst demanding employers follow due process before dismissing workers on the one hand, the Prime Minister then turns around and does the exact opposite, publicly humiliating Labor Senator Crossin in the process.”
Reports today that The Global Mail has treated its workers poorly and fostered a “culture of bullying, nepotism and incompetence” are deeply concerning.
The Coalition trusts that the Fair Work Ombudsman will investigate any allegations that are made to it, and that the Fair Work Commission will duly consider any cases brought before it in relation to conduct at The Global Mail.
It’s always good to come from the state closest to Antarctica to the state closest to the Equator. Our State Governments are poles are apart as well. In Tasmania we have a tired old Government, compromised by the Greens, who are more focused on advancing a destructive social agenda - no doubt to bring it into line with their economic agenda.
In contrast, in Queensland, you have a strong and effective Government prepared to make the tough decisions to repair the damage of gross Labor mismanagement and protect future generations from the wicked burden of debt.
It’s good to be in a room of OH&S practitioners because I am assuming that in setting up the event you would have completed a full safety assessment. That’s good for me. Given neck braces weren’t handed out, I assume my task is to keep you awake and alert.
Occupational health and safety is important. It is the difference between a child seeing their mum or dad that evening; literally the difference between life and death or disability.
Just when you think this shambolic government cannot get any worse - oh yes, they can. Just when you think they cannot bend over to the Greens anymore - oh yes, they can. Just when you think the government surely cannot have another liability issue on their hands after pink batts, the live cattle exports, after the Australian network tender debacle - oh yes, they can. This is the one area where this government excels.
Address to the Young Liberal Movement of South Australia, Adelaide
Old children stories and fables (which regrettably are now out of fashion) have a great application to everyday life including politics.
‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ is a classic which reminds us of the foolishness of and severe embarrassment caused by unthinkingly following the crowd. It is a must read for the political correctness brigade.
Address to the Australian Mines & Metals Association Tasmania Conference, Hobart
A big welcome to Tasmania to interstate AMMA delegates. It’s good not to have to travel to Western Australia for a change.
Any 5 cent piece you can leave behind will be gratefully received by an economy that is being mugged in tandem by Green/Labor Governments from both Canberra and Hobart.
It was with great hype that Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard introduced the Fair Work Act. In preparing for today, I took the opportunity to remind myself of some of the speeches of Labor Ministers when they introduced the Bill. The pages of Hansard are dripping with Labor ideology and war stories from their time as union bosses.
Today, many in Labor are still blinded by ideology when it comes to the Fair Work Act. But, now that we have had the chance to see how it has been implemented over the last two and a half years the ideology has to give way to an objective practical assessment. And it is plain for everyone else to see that there is significant room for improvement.
The London Olympics have come and gone. One performance that has largely gone unnoticed is the extreme green groups' prevailing over contractors constructing the Olympic facilities not to use timber products manufactured by the Ta Ann timber processor in my home state of Tasmania. It should be noted that Ta Ann does not harvest timber in Tasmania.
It uses timber harvested by others that was previously destined for the woodchipper. Ta Ann value adds by veneering these previous woodchip logs into valuable veneer for plywood production.
The single most important priority in preventing people from risking their lives on dangerous maritime voyages is to recalibrate Australian policy settings to achieve an outcome that asylum seekers will not be advantaged if they pay people smugglers to attempt dangerous irregular entry into Australia instead of pursuing regular migration pathways and international protection arrangements.
So said the government's own hand-picked panel operating under the government's own self-drafted terms of reference. A hand-picked panel and self-drafted terms of reference—and the verdict? One of the most stinging critiques ever of government policy by a panel hand-picked by government with self-drafted terms of reference.
The foundations of a Nation's greatness is in the homes of its people.
So spoke that famous trail blazing first female House of Representatives member, first female Cabinet Minister and mother of ten - Dame Enid Lyons.
Eric Abetz has been a Liberal Senator for Tasmania since 1994 and has served in a range of Leadership, Ministerial and Shadow Ministerial roles.