Max Bradford
Opposition Industrial Relations Spokesperson

Friday 23 June 2000

Govt. rams through ERB under urgency

Government plans to ram the Employment Relations Bill through Parliament under urgency fly in the face of assurances the Bill will only be passed after proper consultation and changes to fix it, Opposition Industrial Relations spokesperson Max Bradford said today.

"The Government clearly wants to block the House being able to give the Bill the full and proper consideration that normally happens during regular sitting hours.

"The attempt to truncate the consideration of the legislation by jamming it into a period of urgency reveals that all they really want to do is get the Bill passed, not do the job properly.

"If the Government was serious about listening to concerns about the legislation and about making changes it would listen to the submissioners who want any changes to go to another round of select committee hearings.

"But what we've got instead is the Government desperate to get the Bill passed and pushing the House to make the Bill law.

"They've handled the legislation so badly that they're taking urgency to get the Employment Relations Bill law by Christmas.

"Over the past few weeks the Government has tried to send a signal to those concerned about the Bill that it is listening and will make changes.

"But ramming it through under urgency sends the completely opposite signal that all the Government wants is to get the Bill passed come hell or high water."

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