Mr. Barnett questions Premier Gallop on the government's inaction regarding a CFMEU strike and the enforcement of pre-strike ballot provisions. Gallop deflects by criticizing the previous government's handling of similar situations.

AnsweredQoN 791Legislative Assembly
Asked
18 March 2002
Member
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION, STRIKE ACTION
I refer to the damaging strike action taken yesterday by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union that cost our building industry several millions of dollars. (1) Does the Premier agree with his Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection that the Government is powerless to stop this kind of illegal union activity? (2) Why has the Premier not enforced the pre-strike ballot provision contained in section 97 of the Industrial Relations Act 1979? Dr GALLOP

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(2) It is interesting to ask why did the previous Government not take action against the strikes that occurred on numerous occasions in protest at its legislation. Perhaps the previous minister could tell us. Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
(1) Does the Premier agree with his Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection that the Government is powerless to stop this kind of illegal union activity? (2) Why has the Premier not enforced the pre-strike ballot provision contained in section 97 of the Industrial Relations Act 1979? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) It is interesting to ask why did the previous Government not take action against the strikes that occurred on numerous occasions in protest at its legislation. Perhaps the previous minister could tell us. Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
(2) Why has the Premier not enforced the pre-strike ballot provision contained in section 97 of the Industrial Relations Act 1979? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) It is interesting to ask why did the previous Government not take action against the strikes that occurred on numerous occasions in protest at its legislation. Perhaps the previous minister could tell us. Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) It is interesting to ask why did the previous Government not take action against the strikes that occurred on numerous occasions in protest at its legislation. Perhaps the previous minister could tell us. Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
(1)-(2) It is interesting to ask why did the previous Government not take action against the strikes that occurred on numerous occasions in protest at its legislation. Perhaps the previous minister could tell us. Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
Mrs Edwardes: The pre-strike ballot legislation was prior to - Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
Dr GALLOP: Was the ballot legislation ever used? Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
Mrs Edwardes: It was never used - Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
Dr GALLOP: Never used! This is an Opposition full of hot air, rhetoric and no action. That is what it was doing when it was in government. It was not passing legislation to guide the administration of this State. It was passing legislation as part of what we could best call a range of political stunts. We are a serious Government. When we pass legislation that provides the framework for law in this State, and we expect our administrators to implement the law based on that framework. The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.
The Government’s position on the appropriateness of that action is very clear. We are cooperating with the royal commission, and we did not believe it was appropriate to take industrial action yesterday on the basis of opposition to that royal commission.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more