Well in the last week we've also seen his Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Eric Abetz say that Labor's Fair Work policies needed to be "tweaked".
We've had Liberal Shadow Minister for Small Business Bruce Billson say that Labor's unfair dismissal protections need to be changed.
We've had the Liberals say they will change current industrial relations requirements where the Commonwealth reimburses unions who are forced by the Fair Work Act to conduct secret ballots. Lawyers say this requires legislative change to the Fair Work Act.
We've had the Liberals say they would make changes to industrial relations rules by amending the regulations to the Fair Work Act. The ACTU has demonstrated that this can resurrect WorkChoices via the back door.
And of course we've had Tony Abbott say he cannot give a guarantee there will be no changes to Fair Work laws.
He's also said there will be no changes regarding WorkChoices for 3 years and he's also used the ‘never' word.
So what are we to make of all this?
- Abbott in his book last year Battlelines spelled out very clearly his deep commitment and affection for the WorkChoices policies introduced by the Howard Government.
- Those who've followed Tony Abbott's long political career know only too well his lifelong commitment to hardline industrial laws and particularly laws that punish or destroy trade unions.
- In his budget reply speech in May, only a few months back, Tony Abbott was talking up the benefits of WorkChoices style changes to Labor's industrial laws.
But Wayne Swan said it best about Tony Abbott and WorkChoices.
"Believing Tony Abbott has lost interest in WorkChoices is like believing Richie Benaud no longer likes cricket."
WORKERS BE WARNED - Tony Abbott and WorkChoices would be a deadly combination for your pay packets and job security!
26 July 2010
