18-July-2005
Speeches, Workplace Relations
TANYA NOLAN: The Prime Minister has another tough sell on his hands when he returns industrial relations reform.
And as the Federal Government prepares its case, the unions are taking their fight to the bush.
The success of the nationwide mass rallies and advertising campaign which saw a slump in the Prime Minister's approval rating, has inspired the union movement to a concerted effort to win the support of rural and regional voters.
And they're taking their road show to marginal electorates.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow is starting her tour tomorrow in the city of Lismore in northern New South Wales, before moving south to the bellweather seat of Eden Monaro.
But as Samantha Hawley reports, the new head of the Government's I-R taskforce says the ACTU has no shame, and accuses it of peddling a "grubby deceitful" campaign.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Lismore's been described as the commercial hub of northern New South Wales. With almost 30,000 residents it's nestled between rainforests and the sea in the electorate of Page.
And for the ACTU President Sharan Burrow, it's the perfect place to begin her tour of regional Australia.
SHARAN BURROW: The people of Page have the highest rate of people living on minimum award wages. Around $30,000 a week, 60 per cent compared to 49 per cent average. People are struggling to keep their heads above water, and the Howard Government's proposals will make this harder.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Ms Burrow says she'll be taking that message to the streets and targeting Lismore families.
And she'll have a lunchtime meeting with Ian Causley, the federal Nationals member in the electorate.
SHARAN BURROW: Ian Causley is a lawmaker in his own right. He's a National Party member who's lived in his constituency and represented them for a very long time now.
We're asking him to stand up for the people of Page, stand up for people on relatively low incomes compared to the rest of Australia.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Do you want Sharan Burrow in your electorate, Ian Causley?
IAN CAUSLEY: Well I don't care if Sharan Burrow wants to come to my electorate, she's welcome. She's asked for an interview with me and I'll give her an interview like I do anyone else.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: But there's little chance that Ian Causley will give Sharan Burrow a positive hearing.
IAN CAUSLEY: I think she made a comment that she was going to go to marginal seats. Well she hasn't looked at the last election because this seat's not quite marginal anymore.
But not only that I think that she thinks she's got some sway over the Nationals, well I can tell her she hasn't, and I think I'll be telling her that very clearly tomorrow.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: But it's just the start of the union campaign in regional and rural Australia.
Later this week Sharan Burrow will travel to the marginal electorate of Eden Monaro in southeastern New South Wales.
SHARAN BURROW: That's a critical seat as well because Gary Nairn is in fact Parliamentary Secretary to Kevin Andrews, so he's got a responsibility for rights at work.
His citizens are very concerned. They've asked that I come and talk to them in major centres from Eden through Bega, Moruya and Batemans Bay.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Eden Monaro has fallen to the party that's won government since 1972 and is currently held by the Liberal's Gary Nairn.
GARY NAIRN: I'm happy for anybody to come to my electorate. I don't mind because the people of Eden Monaro know only too well the work that I've done and the strong work that the Howard Government's done over the last nine years to their benefit.
SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Andrew Robb is the former Liberal Party federal director and now backbencher who's leading a government taskforce charged with countering the union's campaign. He isn't impressed.
ANDREW ROBB: Well look, the ACTU, they've got no shame. The ACTU have, you know, got a real hide in my view taking their grubby deceitful campaign into rural and regional Australia.
If you just look at the record, they opposed, the ACTU, as you'll recall, opposed vigorously opposed, condemned the Government about it's '96 reforms to the workplace arrangements. You might recall Bill Kelty at the time said if they want a fight, they want a war, then we'll give them the full symphony.
They opposed all that we proposed to do in '96. They then opposed the waterfront reform which has probably done more for regional Australia than any other reform in the last 10 years, and they opposed the GST which took a billion dollars of taxes off exports and again made a huge contribution to rural and regional Australia.
So I just can't understand how they think they can go in there with any credibility.
SHARAN BURROW: Well last time I looked I'd say to Andrew Robb we were still a democracy, and when people elect politicians they expect them to do their job to represent their interests. So it's the very logical heart of our country to take the arguments to.
TANYA NOLAN: Sharan Burrow ending that report from Samantha Hawley.