❓ Mr Cowper questions the Minister on the impact of the ABCC on industrial disputes in WA, suggesting its presence led to a decrease in strikes. The Minister refutes this, attributing low disputation to the WA Industrial Relations Commission and government support for workers.
AnsweredQoN 552Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
I refer to the minister’s brief ministerial statement yesterday in which she, on behalf of the Carpenter government, amazingly laid claim to providing the industrial framework that has led to record low levels of industrial disputes in Western Australia. I also refer the minister to the graph that I have in my hand. I ask the following questions - (1) How does the minister explain that since the Australian Building and Construction Commission watchdog came into effect in November 2005, the level of strikes in Western Australia has fallen dramatically to record low levels? (2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
I refer to the minister’s brief ministerial statement yesterday in which she, on behalf of the Carpenter government, amazingly laid claim to providing the industrial framework that has led to record low levels of industrial disputes in Western Australia. I also refer the minister to the graph that I have in my hand. I ask the following questions - (1) How does the minister explain that since the Australian Building and Construction Commission watchdog came into effect in November 2005, the level of strikes in Western Australia has fallen dramatically to record low levels? (2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(1) How does the minister explain that since the Australian Building and Construction Commission watchdog came into effect in November 2005, the level of strikes in Western Australia has fallen dramatically to record low levels? (2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(1) How does the minister explain that since the Australian Building and Construction Commission watchdog came into effect in November 2005, the level of strikes in Western Australia has fallen dramatically to record low levels? (2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(2) What specific initiatives has the minister’s government implemented since the establishment of the ABCC, other than challenging the High Court decision at a cost of $1.5 million to taxpayers, to improve the industrial relations system in Western Australia? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
(1)-(2) I am fairly surprised by the comments made by the member for Murray. He attempts to make the claim that the Howard government is in some way responsible for the low level of industrial disputation in Western Australia. That is clearly not the case, because in Western Australia we have supported the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission and its role, and we have supported workers in Western Australia through the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Members opposite can bark as much as they like, but the shame is all theirs. There is only one state in Australia in which there is an incredibly high level of industrial disputation, and it is the state that abolished its own state industrial commission and went with the federal commission; that is, Victoria. Its level of disputation is about double the level of disputation in Western Australia. The regime that we have put in place and supported in this state is a regime that has led to the lowest level of disputation of any of the states. As the member opposite well knows, I have supported the role of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
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