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Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review (Read 4927 times)
imcrookonit
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Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Jan 27th, 2015 at 5:54am
 
Push for Coalition to get in front on industrial relations

    JOE KELLY and EWIN HANNAN
    The Australian
    January 27, 2015


CONCERN is mounting inside the Abbott government that the Coalition risks being damaged by its review of the industrial relations regime unless it seizes control of the political debate, as the ACTU prepares a new, well-resourced campaign to frustrate workplace policy change.   Smiley

The sweeping nature of the review by the Productivity Commission has caught many in the government by surprise with its focus on potentially radical changes to the minimum wage, including its possible replacement or varying it by state, territory or region.

Without a strong political ­response now, some Liberal MPs are worried the government will be “carpet-bombed” and out­manoeuvred by a scare campaign by Labor and the unions mirroring tactics used to discredit John Howard’s Work Choices laws.   

With the commission not due to report until November, union leaders believe they will be able to hurt the government politically for months, with ACTU secretary Dave Oliver meeting national union leaders in coming weeks to discuss the new campaign.   Smiley

“I will be spending the next few weeks engaging with the leadership of the unions at a national level and meeting with all the state trades and labour councils about putting together a comprehensive strategy to take on the government and fend off these ­attacks in defence of working people,” he told The Australian.

“We have our (ACTU) congress later this year and I intend on going to the congress with a comprehensive plan for the next three years.

“The key part will be support for a plan to fend off these attacks.

“We’ll be wanting to mobilise our members. We’ll engage with the community and it will be a well-resourced, comprehensive strategy”.   Smiley

Some Liberal MPs have des­cribed the commission’s proposals on the minimum wage as unusual, suggesting it was a miscalculation and a free kick for the Labor Party.

“Why would you do a whole section on the minimum wage?” said one Liberal MP.

“I’ve got to say it surprised me. I wouldn’t have thought it would be a focus in any way.

“You’ve got to ask what the commission’s rationale was for including the minimum wage in the first place.

“If they can’t justify it, then you’ve got to ask, Is it a bit of a setup?”

A second Liberal MP said the government had to engage with the political debate or risk dealing itself out of the game.

“You’ve got to try and keep some control over the agenda. There’s a capacity for the government to make a contribution.

“The challenge is: do we allow critics to be out there for 10 months carpet-bombing us on IR?”

Another Liberal MP said: “Ten months is a long time. Is it ideal? No. If it was June or July, I wouldn’t be as worried. If we get spooked and rule it out, they’ll then turn their attention to ­another thing and there you go.”

ACTU president Ged Kearney will use the inquiry to try to discredit Campbell Newman in the final days before the Queensland election, campaigning for three days from tomorrow in state marginal seats in Townsville, Cairns and Brisbane.

The ACTU last year ran a mini-campaign in Townsville funding television advertisements and community events designed to increase voter ­opposition to any attempt to cut penalty rates. .

Opposition workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor said unless the government ruled out the more ­“offensive” proposals contemplated by the commission, Labor would “attack them at every turn”.

Mr O’Connor said the government was arguably engaging in a bigger attack on the safety net than under Mr Howard.

“The breadth of the review would suggest that the Productivity Commission could recommend changes in any facet of the current industrial relations laws. It certainly is as wide and as deep as Work Choices, and arguably even going further,” he said.

NSW Liberal MP Angus Taylor and Victorian colleague Dan Tehan have sought to push back against the Labor attack and Bill Shorten’s “fairness” argument on workplace change.

“They’re going to have to explain how they are going to deal with the unfairness of rising youth unemployment which happened under Labor’s watch,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Tehan said the review was the “perfect opportunity” for the Opposition Leader to put his views forward and back them with empirical data.

Mr Oliver yesterday called on the government to rule out any reduction to the minimum wage and provide a guarantee that penalty rates would be maintained, warning of the prospect of the emergence of a US-style system with a “class of working poor in this country”.
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imcrookonit
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #1 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:05am
 
Well said Mr Oliver, how right you are.  Leave the minimum wage and penalty rates alone.     Wink
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #2 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:16am
 
I dearly hope they destroy themselves with this.

Howard did, but it appears that these fools have learned precisely nothing
and are bound and determined to repeat the mistake.
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ImSpartacus2
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #3 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:43am
 
The people have felt under attack from this government ever since it came into power. Wherever we turn the government is moving to slash worker wages and conditions and to increase corporate welfare to businesses, whilst at the same time signing even more free trade agreements to further enrich the commercial sector and put more downward pressure on domestic wages and conditions. People may not want to believe that their government is on a class war footing against them but every moment of every day they can't help but feel that that is precisely what's happening. Fortunately its backfiring on them and may very well bring about their destruction. I most dearly hope so.
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #4 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:49am
 
Unions, unelected, but trying to run the country anyway.  I guess that's their 'commie' way.... Cheesy

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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #5 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:58am
 

Thank goodness for the workers unions. Where would we be without them?

Down a coal mine working for $10 an hour.
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #6 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:06am
 
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:58am:
Thank goodness for the workers unions. Where would we be without them?

Down a coal mine working for $10 an hour.


Where would we be indeed? A much better place without them, very likely!  Smiley
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #7 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:09am
 
Swagman wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:49am:
Unions, unelected, but trying to run the country anyway.  I guess that's their 'commie' way.... Cheesy

And what about all the liberal, national party members of parliament who rose through the ranks of the Business Unions and now run Parliament to serve their cronie business interests not to mention the endless stream of business lobbyists who virtually dictate government policy and perversely, are regularly appointed to government paid jobs to produce "independent" reports on why the government should be putting the boot harder into the aust people and handing out more welfare to the business sector.  I've said it to you before Swag but you don't have the foresight to listen.  By going in as hard as you and your greedy mates have done to gobble up more of the pie for yourselves you've shot yourself in the foot and unlikely to get anymore from the people before you get kicked out.  But what you now need to worry about is what happens after your mates are kicked out. You've upset so many people they may well pull your snouts right out of that trough all together. I can't wait!!!! 
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #8 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:13am
 
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:58am:
Thank goodness for the workers unions. Where would we be without them?

Down a coal mine working for $10 an hour.


No Gina expects to only pay $2 an hour.
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #9 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:15am
 
Swagman wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:49am:
Unions, unelected, but trying to run the country anyway.  I guess that's their 'commie' way.... Cheesy


You talking about the business unions there, Swag? They do have a LOT of say, don’t they?
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #10 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:16am
 
Swagman wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:49am:
Unions, unelected, but trying to run the country anyway.  I guess that's their 'commie' way.... Cheesy



The push for IR change has come from the business community at the Liberals request.

Who elected the right wing extremist business groups to run the country ?

All that the Unions are doing is to try and defend the employees position against extreme right wing policy aimed at reducing wages and working conditions.
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #11 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:18am
 
Swagman wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:49am:
Unions, unelected, but trying to run the country anyway.  I guess that's their 'commie' way....




Union leaders are elected.

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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #12 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:19am
 
Quote:
Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review


In other words the coalition risk getting what they deserve.
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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #13 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:19am
 
It's the majority that commands.

The reason Australian industry is finding it difficult to compete globally is that the majority, spurred on by the union movement, is being scared off making the necessary reforms to industrial relations policy to assist business to compete globally.  It's a different world and a different demographic.  The old IR policies are obsolete and a mill stone around the nation's neck.

Unions want the tax-payer to bale out inefficient industries with DEBT without giving weigh on IR reform.  Totally unsustainable.

Unions howled down workchoices and once again they are  howling down the IR debate.  Cutting off their nose to spite their face.

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Re: Coalition Risks Being Damaged By Its IR Review
Reply #14 - Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:19am
 
Dnarever wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 8:13am:
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jan 27th, 2015 at 7:58am:
Thank goodness for the workers unions. Where would we be without them?

Down a coal mine working for $10 an hour.


No Gina expects to only pay $2 an hour.


We both know that'd never be allowed to happen here. This isn't some poor third-world Asian country. Grow a brain, fool.
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Scott Morrison DID wipe the floor with Bull Shitten!!! Smiley Smiley Smiley
 
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