Australian Industrial Relations reforms
In November 2005 the Australian Government introduced draft legislation aimed at making sweeping changes to amend the existing industrial relations legislations to weaken minimum employee entitlements and the ability of unions to recruit, organise and represent members. The government has launched its changes under the name "Work Choices."
The Coalition Government has spent over $A50 millions dollars on advertising the changes, which various worker's unions, notably the ACTU claim are non-worker friendly. The ACTU are running a campaign, called "Your Rights At Work", opposing the proposed changes.
How the advertising money is being spent
"Many of the lucrative contracts for the publicity blitz went to companies that run the Liberal Party's election campaigns, sparking Labor accusations the Government is channelling public money to its mates." Misha Schubert "IR ads bill hits $55m", Sydney Morning Herald, November 1 2005
A company called Salmat was awarded an $800,000 contract to distribute brochures promoting the proposed changes. [1] The Labor Party's Kelvin Thomson has questioned the decision to award the contract to a Liberal Party donor: "Australian Electoral Commission information reveals that Salmat Limited and one of its directors donated almost $120,000 to the Liberal Party during the latest disclosure period", he said. [2] Salmat is a publicly listed Australian company.
Other SourceWatch resources
External links
- AAP "Business council backs IR reforms", Sydney Morning Herald, October 11 2005
- Brad Norington "Howard doubles cash for IR bodies", The Australian, November 2 2005
- Fred Argy, "What is happening to Australian Democracy", ANU Democractic Audit of Australia, July 2005
- Media Release, Kelvin Thomson, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability, "More and more money for 'mates'" November 8 2005
- Mike Seccombe, “IR changes will stop terrorism, honest”, Sydney Morning Herald, November 9 2005
- Misha Schubert "IR ads bill hits $55m", Sydney Morning Herald, November 1 2005
- Govt pulps IR pamphlets at cost of $150,000, ABC Radio National, November 7 2005: "It's been revealed almost half a million Government booklets outlining the changes were pulped, at a cost of more than $150,000, in order to insert the word "fairer" onto the booklet's cover."
