WorkChoices bill introduced into Parliament

By Dennis Long

The Federal Government introduced the Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Bill 2005 into the Parliament on November 2, sparking outrage with the Opposition claiming the debate was proceeding without copies of the 700-page bill available.

The Government plans to pass the legislation this year.

The House of Representatives is sitting until at least November 10. The Senate was scheduled to sit November 7-10, November 28-30 and December 5-7 but this may be affected by the Prime Minister's recall of the Senate to consider amendments to anti-terror legislation.

A Senate Inquiry into the WorkChoices bill is planned. Submissions will close on November 9 and the committee is to report by November 22, leaving just five days of hearings November 14-18.

The Queensland Government confirmed it would push ahead with a possible High Court challenge to the industrial relations changes, with Premier Peter Beattie saying the Bill was as "horrendous" as he expected it to be.

Federation is distributing 400,000 leaflets to parents to explain the impact of the WorkChoices bill on their child's education and encouraging parents and community members to attend the Sky Channel meetings on November 15. The leaflets advise that minimal supervision will be provided at schools as "a gesture of solidarity to parents, other unionists and community members". The leaflets will be delivered in bulk to Federation Representatives in all schools.

At least three advertising campaigns will vie for public attention while the bill is debated in Parliament. The Business Council of Australia (BCA) began an adverting campaign on October 30 to explain "why economic reform is vital for Australia's future". The BCA advertising consists of 60 second television advertisements, "super site" billboards at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports, and newspapers, magazine and radio advertising. On October 31, NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca announced that the State Government would spend $300,000 on a series of advertisements called the "Fair Go" campaign as well as establishing a website at www.fairgo.nsw.gov.au.

ABC Online reported Mr Della Bosca as saying, "Mr Howard is spending $40 million to tell lies. We're spending a modest one per cent of that in order to make sure people understand the truth."

It is not clear whether the Government advertising campaign will run while the legislation is before Parliament.

Observers continue to be puzzled by the Government's advertising strategy which has been widely criticised and has failed to move public opinion, at least as measured by a number of polls.

Federal Liberal backbencher MP Peter Slipper was quoted by ABC Online (October 27) as saying, "I don't think the ads are as effective as they should be and if they are changed I think that would be a positive step forward."

"I can understand people getting bored by these ads because I don't think these ads are good. I think the people who designed these ads, the advertising agency or whatever, ought to be looked at very closely," Mr Slipper said.

On November 1, senior Sydney Morning Herald political reporter David Humphries reported that the Federal Government campaign had cost $55 million "and the final bill may be much higher". The advertising campaign had a budget of $44.3 million, with a further $8 million spent on call centres and $2.6 million on a booklet for households.

The ACTU advertising campaign will continue.

The ACTU website can be reached via a link from the campaign engine on the Federation website at www.nswtf.org.au.

Dennis Long is the Editor.

IR Sky Channel for all workers November 15

Regional rallies for November 15

Revolutionary changes to government powers

Howard's IR revolution under intense scrutiny

AWAs for prac student supervisors

Consumer boycott

TAFE teachers and nurses may be caught by IR agenda

For further information

November 2005 contents