Saturday, August 16, 2008

Hawke on WorkChoices wind back

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, guest speaker at the 16th Annual Labour Law Conference at Sydney University, said that the inconsistencies between state and federal industrial relations laws is one of the biggest challenges being faced by the Government.

He says he hopes the legislation will be enacted quickly, but the Government needs to get it right.

"They've already brought in legislation which means there can be no more AWAs, so they have acted, no one can complain about that," he said.

"They brought that legislation in in March. Now there's a second stage of the legislation and they're undertaking a serious round of consultations and that's to be welcomed."

He says the election defeat will make the Coalition less likely to move against the Government's changes to WorkChoices.

"They are after all political animals and their first concern is a bit of leather in Parliament House that they can put their bums on," he said.

"And they must surely understand now after November 24 that there is this deep fundamental belief of the Australian people to a fair industrial relations system which is going to provide adequate protection for workers."

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