Mr SETTER - 1996-11-26
In light of the passage of the federal Workplace Relations Bill, what implications will this legislation have for the Northern Territory work force?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the new legislation will be of benefit not only to Territory workers, but also to industry and business itself. Some significant components will play a role there. Among them ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: The member for MacDonnell raises the matter of the CFMEU. I understand his allegiance to and support for such a union, particularly given its proven track record interstate for industrial blackmail and espionage and its horrendous impact on the building industry, not only by way of disruption but also by cost - 30%, conservatively, on most projects. The member for MacDonnell's allegiance and loyalty, of course, only demonstrates where this mob opposite are coming from. They are the great defenders of the previous federal Labor government's unfair dismissal legislation. Thank goodness there will be a little balance in that provision from now on to ensure that, while workers will be protected, employers will not be held to ransom in a no-win situation that their Labor federal mates introduced. We know that more and more members opposite support secondary boycotts by which even interstate disputes can wreak havoc among Territory workers, disrupting their pay and disrupting progress on jobs that their employers are pursuing on behalf of clients or the taxpayer. They obtain a great deal of support from the Labor lefties opposite.
When it comes to the benefits of this legislation, we believe there has been some small level of compromise at the edge as a result of debate and discussions with the Democrats. In essence, one of the key components that will help Territorians - and it will help the CFMEU to understand that, when it operates in an environment such as the Northern Territory, it must do so on a fair and reasonable basis only - is the outlawing of `no ticket, no start' preferential clauses. Once current awards expire, in new awards and through workplace agreements, we will see an end to the strong-arm tactics used by the member for MacDonnell's mates. He thinks it is pretty good to disrupt concrete pours halfway through the process. He thinks it is pretty good that the poor old workers at Darling Harbour should receive a meal allowance, a free Chinese lunch, because they could not stand the aroma of Chinatown in Sydney. He thinks that these blackmail tactics are pretty good fun. They are not fun.
The Northern Territory has been blessed in its construction industry for the last 20 years during a very vigorous construction period. Even on this building, our record stands second to none in the country. Thank goodness the new federal Workplace Relations Act will support the very fundamental principle of democracy and fairness - the right to belong to a union of your choice or not to belong to a union. The CFMEU mates of the member for MacDonnell
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have to realise that a new day is upon us. They can operate, provided they operate on the basis of fairness and openness. That is the only option open to them.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the new legislation will be of benefit not only to Territory workers, but also to industry and business itself. Some significant components will play a role there. Among them ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr FINCH: The member for MacDonnell raises the matter of the CFMEU. I understand his allegiance to and support for such a union, particularly given its proven track record interstate for industrial blackmail and espionage and its horrendous impact on the building industry, not only by way of disruption but also by cost - 30%, conservatively, on most projects. The member for MacDonnell's allegiance and loyalty, of course, only demonstrates where this mob opposite are coming from. They are the great defenders of the previous federal Labor government's unfair dismissal legislation. Thank goodness there will be a little balance in that provision from now on to ensure that, while workers will be protected, employers will not be held to ransom in a no-win situation that their Labor federal mates introduced. We know that more and more members opposite support secondary boycotts by which even interstate disputes can wreak havoc among Territory workers, disrupting their pay and disrupting progress on jobs that their employers are pursuing on behalf of clients or the taxpayer. They obtain a great deal of support from the Labor lefties opposite.
When it comes to the benefits of this legislation, we believe there has been some small level of compromise at the edge as a result of debate and discussions with the Democrats. In essence, one of the key components that will help Territorians - and it will help the CFMEU to understand that, when it operates in an environment such as the Northern Territory, it must do so on a fair and reasonable basis only - is the outlawing of `no ticket, no start' preferential clauses. Once current awards expire, in new awards and through workplace agreements, we will see an end to the strong-arm tactics used by the member for MacDonnell's mates. He thinks it is pretty good to disrupt concrete pours halfway through the process. He thinks it is pretty good that the poor old workers at Darling Harbour should receive a meal allowance, a free Chinese lunch, because they could not stand the aroma of Chinatown in Sydney. He thinks that these blackmail tactics are pretty good fun. They are not fun.
The Northern Territory has been blessed in its construction industry for the last 20 years during a very vigorous construction period. Even on this building, our record stands second to none in the country. Thank goodness the new federal Workplace Relations Act will support the very fundamental principle of democracy and fairness - the right to belong to a union of your choice or not to belong to a union. The CFMEU mates of the member for MacDonnell
Page 1822
have to realise that a new day is upon us. They can operate, provided they operate on the basis of fairness and openness. That is the only option open to them.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016