Birney illustrates industrial ignorance

29/06/05
Consumer and Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke said Matt Birney's claims today that Howard's 'IR reforms won't affect Western Australian public servants' showed a sad and disappointing ignorance of the issue.
"Mr Birney's claims that teachers would not be affected is just plain wrong," he said.
"The fact is teachers - along with nurses, hospital support workers, firefighters and other groups of public sector workers - are already in the Federal industrial relations system from which Howard proposes to remove safety nets, award pay structures and reduce the role of the Industrial Relations Commission."
Mr Kobelke said that Mr Birney's claim was not only false but inconsistent with another of his claims that 'most of these employees would have to revert to state awards'.
"If you're unaffected, why would you change?" Mr Kobelke said.
"It doesn't make sense.
"People covered by the Federal system can't just skip back and forth between the two like yoyos.
"This kind of talk demonstrates Mr Birney's ignorance of the relationship between the Federal and State IR systems.
"Today's claims show that Matt Birney doesn't understand the current industrial relations system or Howard's proposed destructive changes, which is a very concerning thing in a State party leader.
"Just like his statement about meeting the 'Pope's partner', Mr Birney is again talking on a subject he knows nothing about.
"Mr Birney should stick to what he knows - his publicly stated commitment to protect the very necessary State industrial relations system.
"If he wants factual information on the impact of the proposed legislation, he should look on the State Government's Less Pay No Way website at http://www.lesspaynoway.com ."
Mr Kobelke said State and Federal Liberal leaders had both failed to substantiate their reasons for gutting the country's two-tier industrial relations system.
"The truth is, under the current system, WA is enjoying record low State unemployment rates of under five per cent, annual economic growth of seven per cent and the highest productivity level of any State for the past three years," he said.
Minister's office: 9222 9211