These references will be updated as they become available

Tony Abbott's Industrial Relations Philosophy

"Reflections of a New Boy" Proceedings of the XXIInd H.R. Nicholls Society Conference, Melbourne, 23-24 March 2001, Union Privilege v. Workers' Rights sets out Abbott's industrial relations ideology: http://www.hrnicholls.com.au/nicholls/nichvo22/abbott2001.html 

General position on the welfare state & Work for the Dole: Address to IPA, 12 June 2001 http://www.ipa.org.au/Speechesandsubmssns/AbbottCDK2001.html 

Tony Abbott on Industrial Relations in the campaign

22/10/01: Abbott criticises Democrats' IR policy
Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business criticises the Democrats' policy arguing that they never opposed outright any Labor government industrial legislation, but have blocked almost all of the legislation that the Coalition introduced since the 1998 federal election.  He argues that blocking further workplace relations changes that would make the system more flexible is a recipe for unemployment Tony Abbott 24/10

22/10/01: Abbott criticises Beazley's statement Plan for Carers
Minister Abbot criticises Kim Beazley's statement that "Labor will restore the role, capacity and independence of the Industrial Relations Commission to ensure a fair award system and remove the Howard Government’s restrictions on matters that can be included in awards. These restrictions have precluded conditions that enable people to balance employment with caring responsibilities".  His response is that the Workplace Relations Act 1996 specifically lists carer’s leave as an allowable award matter and assisting employees to effectively balance their work and family responsibilities, as an object of the Act Tony Abbott 22/10

16/10/01: Strikes at Record Lows
"Strikes in Australia are now more than three times lower than under Labor.

"In these uncertain times, when it is so important to keep our economy strong, we must put Australia’s interests first by keeping strikes at these low levels. Fewer strikes means higher productivity, higher living standards, and an international trading reputation that Australians can be proud of.

"The Howard Coalition will keep Australia’s strike record low with our focus on co-operative workplace bargaining, secret ballots before strikes, stronger trade practices laws against secondary boycotts and applying the rule of law equally to union officials.

"Coast to coast Labor governments will see a return to the pre 1996 days of record strikes." Tony Abbott Press Release

11/10/01: Abbott claims Labor's industrial relations policy and job security statement is a fraud: http://www.liberal.org.au/MEDIA/campaign/ABBOTT/abbottalpfraud11oct.htm

pre-campaign media releases, speeches & statements

  http://www.dewrsb.gov.au/ministers/mediacentre/default.asp.  Includes the following references for 2001:
28/09/2001: Address to CEO Circle - A preference for freedom
28/09/2001: Appointments to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
17/08/2001: Appointments to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
09/02/2001: Speech to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
22/07/2001: Address to CEO Circle - A preference for freedom
22/07/2001: Workers will be worse off under Labor
23/03/2001: Australian Industrial Relations Commission appointment

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 The presentation of Minister Abbott's views are for the purposes of information of, and research by, visitors to this site and do not reflect support for the views contained in the sites.  Indeed, in my view, Mr Abbott's ideology  undermines the principles of equity and fairness which were the basis for national regulation of the workplace. 

Maintained by Jim McDonald; Email: jmac@usq.edu.au
  Created 12 October 2001