Archbishop condemns Howard's IR reforms

John Howard's industrial relations reforms had fuelled community fears that the civilised standards of democratic society were being further eroded, Melbourne Anglican Archbishop Peter Watson said last night.

Archbishop Watson told his diocesan synod that the "corporate model which judges success by the criteria of the balance sheet short-changes us, as if that is all that matters. Civilised society is not an extension of the corporate world. The corporate world should exist to serve the interest and wellbeing of a caring society."

"Weekends and leisure time are not optional extras. They must be preserved for the wellbeing of individuals, families and the whole
community and, ultimately, for the health of the economy."

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