The Tasmanian Liberal leader, Will Hodgman seems hell-bent on supporting his federal leader Malcolm Turnbull in developing policies that will weaken the pay and conditions of working families, Workplace Relations Minister Lisa Singh said today.
“On the weekend Malcolm Turnbull revealed that the Liberal Party was leaving the way open to reintroduce WorkChoices’, including individual contracts,” Ms Singh said.
“Mr Hodgman is clearly in the same space because just a few weeks ago in Hobart he told the TCCI leaders’ debate: ‘let’s reduce the cost of doing business, let’s provide the freest labour market.’
“That is simply code for removing protections and squeezing the pay and conditions of working Tasmanians by putting profits ahead of people.
“I call on Mr Hodgman to clearly rule out support for WorkChoices style policies and made his views clear to Mr Turnbull.
“WorkChoices ripped basic entitlements off working Tasmanians and reduced their rights to bargain fairly with employers.
“Mr Hodgman and Mr Turnbull are clearly one on this issue and are prepared to override the rights of working families in the interests of profits.
“That was illustrated recently with the Liberal Party’s rash demands for the Government to hand over money to the bosses of ACL rather than protecting the rights of the workers.
“The Australian people rejected the former Liberal federal Government because WorkChoices was such a disaster for working families.
“Mr Hodgman still refuses to accept that and I call on him to make clear his stand on this issue.
“Mr Hodgman needs to explain to Tasmanians exactly what he meant when he pledged to provide Tasmanians businesses with the ‘freest labour market’,” Ms Singh said.
Lisa Singh, Minister for Workplace Relations
