05-August-2005
Speeches, Workplace Relations
TRACEY: The Federal Opposition wants to introduce a private member's bill into parliament next week calling for a crack down on government advertising. Labor and unions are questioning the cost of the $20 million spent on the Government's campaign on workplace changes. The chairman of the Government's industrial relations taskforce, Andrew Robb, is with us in Melbourne. Good morning.
ANDREW ROBB: Good morning, Tracy.
TRACEY: Why should taxpayers have to fund Why should taxpayers have to fund the government ease campaign to sell IR reforms that most Australians have told pollsters Australians have told pollsters they don't want?
ANDREW ROBB: Tracy, in any organisation, any large company, any organisation, if they make a any organisation, if they make a change to policy, if they make a big change to the way things are going to operate, they spend a lot of time and effort telling people of time and effort telling people in the organisation or the shareholders or customers what's going to happen, when it's going to happen, why it's going to happen, and that's exactly what we're doing with these changes. It's part of the changes is to communicate the changes is to communicate the changes is to communicate what's happening and why it's happening. It's a very legitimate part of the cost of introducing the change. We're just doing what governments have done forever, organisation have done forever and that is to tell people what's going on.
TRACEY: I accept what you're saying but in this case these changes are already deeply resented and you're already deeply resented and you're adding a $20 billion bitter pill to that which workers already have to swallow, aren't you?
ANDREW ROBB: I don't accept that. Look, these changes are critical to us delivering on the promises that we made at the last election. We're the government, we're got to get on and do the job, not play politics which is what the unions and the Premiers and all the rest are doing.
We've got to get on and do the job. We said we would keep interest rates as low as we could. That was going to be our priority that we would keep creating jobs, that was our priority, that we would keep the growth in real wages going as high as we could. That's our priority. Now these changes are fundamental to continuing and delivering on that promise, so we've got to get on with this job now.
People are frightened in some respects because of the scare campaign that's being run. But it is a dishonest campaign. What we are doing is demonstrably good for Australian workers and families. We are very confident about the importance of it and the need for it and value people will get at the end of the day and we will push on with this and explain it that's why we need to explain it.
That's why we need to spend this money so people are comfortable with what we're doing. We carry people with us with this
TRACEY: You've briefed your advertisers that they must sell the message that these reforms are the message that these reforms are about protecting the Australian way of life. The unions have told Australians that their public Australians that their public holiday, annual leave, overtime, penalties. A lot of people pay their mortgage on their penalties their mortgage on their penalties are all up for grabs. How can you sell this and can you say categorically those are not up for grabs? The unions are telling lies.
ANDREW ROBB: We are not taking away people's rights. We are giving people the opportunity to increase the rights they have in the work place and to create new rights for conditions that will suit their own particular circumstance.
For young mums, perhaps, to negotiate a staggered start time to their day so they can drop the kids off, that is important to them. You know, is important to them. You know, you've got rights in awards, things like a traditional union picnic day. Now I bet there are a lot of young mums out there who think it would be nice to take the kids to meet Sharon and Greg Combet, but maybe I would give that up if it means I could start a little bit later and drop the kids off at school.
It's that sort of opportunity where people can find new rights that will suit them in their work place and make life easier, take pressure off them and perhaps increase their take-home pay
TRACEY: It's a war of words I'm sure we'll see and hear more of yours in the advertising campaign yours in the advertising campaign.
ANDREW ROBB: Thanks, Tracy.