this is what libs were voting for
Federal Labor today launched a time line setting out Peter Costello’s 21 year crusade to impose radical industrial relations changes on all Australians.
If John Howard wins the election - and Peter Costello becomes PM without facing the voters - Prime Minister Costello will take Work Choices further.
Prime Minister Costello will take Work Choices further because Peter Costello has spent the last 21 years agitating, advocating, and legislating for a more and more extreme American style industrial relations system.
For 21 years Mr Costello has used all the skills at his disposal, financial, legal, and political to erode the take home pay and conditions of working families.
Now after 21 years – and in the shadow of an election - Mr Costello has spent the last 21 days reluctantly promising he won’t take Work Choices further.
To judge the intentions of Prime Minister Peter Costello working families are entitled to look at the last 21 years, not just the last 21 days. Highlights of Mr Costello’s extreme industrial relations crusade include.
* 1986 - Formed New Right organisation called the HR Nicholls Society;
* 1986 - Advocated in the National Wage Case a 44 per cent cut to the minimum wage;
* 1986 – Attempted to radically change Liberal Party industrial relations policy from outside Parliament;
* 1989 – Costello installed in safe Liberal seat as part of a New Right push;
* 1991 – Argues to privatise the independent industrial relations umpire;
* 1993 – Supports $3 youth wage under Liberal’s Fightback! Policy;
* 1999 – Agitates for cutting the wages and working conditions of employees in regional Australia;
* 2004 – Agitates for the Howard Government to use its Senate majority to introduce extreme industrial relations laws;
* 2005 – Costello, Howard and Kevin Andrews draft Work Choices legislation plan, Howard forced to restrain Costello from even greater extremism;
* 2005 - Argues to scrap all protections except the minimum wage and put more workers onto unfair AWAs;
* 2005 – Agitates for the removal of all protections from unfair dismissal;
* 2005 – Votes to introduce Work Choices;
* 2006 – Receives economic modelling from his own department to take Work Choices even further;
* 2007 – After a lifetime crusade and in the shadow of an election begins denying he wants to take Work Choices further; and
* 2009? – Prime Minister Peter Costello will take Work Choices further.
Working families who want to know what life would be like under Prime Minister Costello should look at Mr Costello’s 21 years crusade, not his hollow promises over last 21 days.