Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to talk about choice. Choice in life is many things to many people and in my electorate it is important that people be given choice. One choice is to join a union or to not join a union. But what we will see under the Labor Party, should it come to power, is a return to no ticket, no start. The ALP is set to demand that only union members be employed in certain workplaces, which means there will be a union application form included as part of new job starting packs.

My opponent in the upcoming federal election is an ambulance officer. He claims he is seeking to represent the people of Paterson but, according to the journal of the ambulance service of New South Wales, Jim Arneman:

... has a long standing involvement in strategic union issues.

This is of concern to me because, if the Labor Party has its way and he is voted into government, I fear that we will return to everybody being forced to join a union—and, let me tell you, they will definitely pay a bargaining fee.

Under this government we have seen a drop in union membership. There has been a drop in union membership because of choice by the workers. Only 15 per cent of employees in the private sector are in unions. The Labor Party claims it is because of the Howard government’s workplace reforms. How hypocritical of the Labor Party to make this assumption. Did the union bosses not predict a boost in union membership following the workplace relations reforms? So much for that idea. If you look at the figures, you see that union membership has been on the decline for more than three decades. That is because unions and union bosses set out to do nothing more than collect money from union memberships to fulfil their own lifestyles and political ambitions rather than develop and help the employees they claim to represent.

In my electorate of Paterson, the predominant type of business is small business. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 small businesses in our region. I have regular discussions with small businesses in my electorate—from Dungog, Forster, Port Stephens and through to Gloucester. Most of them just want to get on with the job of building up their business, working and employing people. Their workers should be given a choice if they want to belong to a union. They should not be forced to join a union. They should not be excluded if they choose not to join a union. But their rights should be respected should they choose to join a union.

The local butcher shop at Raymond Terrace may have four or five staff, and it is their choice if they want to belong to a union. They should not be forced to join, as I have said. There are other prominent businesses in my electorate which are thriving, including charter boat companies which offer whale and dolphin watching. Their staff should be given a choice as to whether or not they want to join a union.

I am proud to say that, in my electorate, unemployment figures have dropped. In March 1996, unemployment in Paterson was at 10 per cent. According to the latest figures it is now 7.2 per cent. Sure, there is more to be done to reduce it further, but it is a sign of a successful economy and successful businesses. What is interesting in my electorate of Paterson is that unemployment levels have dropped since the Howard government’s workplace reforms were introduced. In March last year, the unemployment level was 7.5 per cent. It is now 7.2 per cent. It is these workplace reforms that are not only adding to the decline of unemployment levels but also adding to the decline of union membership. Employment conditions have also strengthened considerably in the Hunter since March 1996, with the level of employment increasing by 75,700, which is 36.9 per cent of the region over this time. Employment growth over the past year is up by 6,100, which is an increase of 22.2 per cent.

A major source of employment in my electorate is the mining industry based in and around the Hunter. At a dinner I attended last night, Xstrata Coal chief executive Peter Coates said that he remembered the days when unions brought industry to its knees. Mr Coates said that staff would come to work on Fridays with their boats attached to their cars because they knew they were going on strike on that day anyway, which made for a long weekend. He said the staff would hold stop-work meetings and disputes over the flavours of ice-cream in the canteen. We do not need to return to those days. Productivity of business suffers, which has an effect on our economy and an effect on employment.

Workplace relationships have flourished in our community. The strike rate is down. People are taking home more pay. They are enjoying their employment opportunities and, in particular, the flexibility that they deserve. I encourage people to look wisely and hard at their choice as they step forward to this federal election—at what choice is for them. Do they want to be dictated to by union bosses who do nothing but provide power for those bosses? (Time expired)