NSW Coalition: coy or sneaky?

By Dick Nichols

SYDNEY -- Since before Christmas, NSW Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski has been saying her industrial relations policy would not be released for “another couple of weeks”.

Nationals' leader George Souris was not so coy; he released his party's policy at a Grafton campaign breakfast a fortnight ago. It was, Souris said, “time to reform industrial relations in favour of the employer”.

The Nationals want small business exempted from unfair dismissal laws; the Industrial Relations Act abolished; workplace agreements, which bypass awards, introduced to the maximum extent possible; mandatory secret ballots before strikes; workers' compensation premiums (and therefore pay-outs) to be cut; and “flexible” wages and conditions in the tourism industry.

“The National policy on industrial relations is one we agree with”, responded Chikarovski.

The NSW Coalition has undertaken not to hand over industrial relations powers to the commonwealth, Jeff Kennett-style, but Souris' policy means they won't have to; they will simply enshrine the federal government's policy in NSW legislation.

[Dick Nichols is a Democratic Socialist candidate for the Legislative Council in the March 27 NSW election.]

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