Saturday 27th of April 2024
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politics explained .....

politics explained .....

There really isn't any doubt any more about whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has the killer instinct. 

The problem tends more to be how to drag her off the victim's body. 

When the curtain rose on question time yesterday, Ms Gillard sat calmly in the Prime Minister's chair (its customary occupant having set forth for Washington). 

Ms Gillard greeted her inquisitors with the quietly confident air of a $10,000-an-hour alimony lawyer arriving at her first bout with Eddie Murphy. 

Her first question came from Malcolm Turnbull. How did the acting Prime Minister feel about the fact that one of her own backbenchers - the blushing member for Dawson, James Bidgood - had said that very morning that there was "no question the Prime Minister was indiscreet" in his recent dealings with a certain US President? 

Ms Gillard rose crisply and delivered a scathing and precise attack on the Coalition's own history of insulting US presidential candidates; cheeky, given that the air is still blue with her pal Mark Latham's thoughts on the subject .... 

Mr Hockey was also interested to know if the Labor backbencher Mike Symon, who is a former sparky and ETU official, could shed any light on the affair. 

Ms Gillard was not amused. 

How dare Mr Hockey besmirch the good name of Mr Symon? How dare he interfere so crassly in a matter that was very properly before the Australian Securities and Investment Commission? Had the Manager of Opposition Business no shame? 

After five minutes of this, Ms Gillard had officially achieved the impossible.

When Kev's Away, Killer Gillard Comes Out To Play

Minister for fair work

Minister for Workplace Relations Julia Gillard has introduced the Government's new laws which will dismantle WorkChoices legislation, which she says will create a fairer system for both workers and employers.

The Fair Work bill now covers all workers under unfair dismissal laws, establishes Fair Work Australia, legislates for "good faith" collective bargaining and does not differentiate between a union or non-union agreement.

Ms Gillard told Parliament the bill delivers on the Federal Government's election promises.

"The bill being introduced today is based on the enduring principle of fairness while meeting the needs of the modern age," she said.

"The bill delivers a fair and comprehensive safety net of minimum employment conditions that cannot be stripped away - a system that has at its heart bargaining in good faith at the enterprise level as this is essential to maximise workplace cooperation and improve productivity and create rising national prosperity."

so:

The Federal Opposition has announced it will support the Government's new industrial relations laws but there have been mixed reactions from other groups.

Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced the Fair Work bill earlier this afternoon to create 10 minimum conditions for employees, reinstate unfair dismissal protections and provide for new awards to be reviewed every four years.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition will vote for the bill in the House of Representatives.

There will be a Senate inquiry before the Upper House debates the bill next year, but Mr Turnbull says the Coalition will not block the measures.

"We will not oppose the Government's Fair Work Bill in the House of Representatives," he said.

"But we reserve our right to propose amendments to improve the operation of the bill following the Senate Committee process, without seeking to frustrate the Government's election commitment to implement its forward with fairness election policy."

Ms Gillard says the Government expects a Senate inquiry to look at the bill, but will not tolerate a delay.

"They shouldn't stand in the way of the Australian people, they should pass this bill," she said.

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