175 000 in Melbourne, 30 000 in Sydney, about 60 000 across Queensland, tens of thousands in Adelaide, at least 10 000 in Perth (despite the oppressive heat), tens of thousands more at smaller rallies in regional centres — and even a contingent in New Zealand. The Community Day of Protest was a resounding success. Melbourne was especially successful [...]
Kim Beazley has made Labor’s position on the IR legislation clear: “I can tell you this: we’re not beating about the bush with his legislation,” he told a cheering audience. “If we get into office in 18 months to two years’ time, we’re going to rip it up.” Treasury told a Senate estimates hearing it [...]
The Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005 was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, despite the fact that copies had not been made available to all Members of Parliament. (Tony Abbott seemed to believe that Stephen Smith could perform miracles, sharing two copies he had obtained between sixty Opposition members.) After an hour of argument [...]
The Government will introduce its industrial relations legislation to parliament tomorrow. Surely Kevin Andrews, a devout Catholic, couldn’t have missed the significance of on All Souls’ Day, which commemorates the faithful departed? It certainly resonates with a report that says WorkChoices will shorten the lives of low-income workers. The study cited evidence from New Zealand [...]
The High Court delivered its reasons for approving the WorkChoices propaganda campaign. My initial assessment was that the majority have rendered the Senate’s budget scrutiny impotent; Kenneth Davidson agrees: “As important as the political advertising case was, it pales into insignificance compared with the violence the majority decision has done to the institution of Parliament [...]
The Government’s advertising campaign has been ineffective so far. A Morgan poll says only 1% more people have heard of the IR proposals since the WorkChoices campaign began. 49% of respondents opposed the package, with a measly 17% in support. In particular, the WorkChoices hotline has been a spectacular failure. The operators are worried about [...]
This is a big one… Because the Government hadn’t finished drafting the legislation but wanted to press ahead with its propaganda campaign, it was forced to relaunch its industrial relations policy. Business leaders were summoned to Canberra to be given a special “lock-up” briefing about the package. Apparently, “One invitee isn’t coming because, among other [...]
The ACTU’s legal challenge to the Government’s IR propaganda was rejected by the High Court, apparently on a technicality. In a brief media statement (pdf), the Court said it was “not appropriate to answer” whether the Government’s spending was properly authorised. At this stage, it is not possible to say why the claim was rejected, [...]
Despite repeated assurances that the IR legislation was being prepared according to schedule, John Howard has cancelled a sitting week of the House of Representatives because Kevin Andrews and his team of seconded lawyers couldn’t get the job done. This is despite recent calls from the National Party for the detail of the proposals to [...]
The Government’s CFMEU-busting body will be headed by John Lloyd, a Liberal stooge who played a leading role in the attacks of the Kennett (Vic) and Court (WA) Liberal governments on workers’ rights. In his first media conference after taking the job, he did not rule out using the ABCC’s powers in a Gestapo type [...]
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