HOWARD SPEAK!

The titles that the Howard government comes up with for its anti-worker legislation is an example of what a strange, distorted and irrational bunch of individuals the Liberal and National Party are.

For instance, the "Workplace Relations (Fair Dismissal Reform) Bill 2002" is a proposed law making it easier for bosses to sack workers.

The "Workplace Relations (Protecting the Low Paid) Bill 2004" is a law aimed at protecting the low paid by reducing their wages.

The "OHS (Promoting Safer Workplaces) Bill 2005" is a proposed law exempting the Commonwealth from being prosecuted for industrial manslaughter under a State or Territory law.

Continuing in this tradition, we now have the "Workplace Relations (Better Bargaining) Bill 2005".  The "better bargaining" that will occur according to Mr. Howard is that union members' rights to take protected industrial action will be possibly curtailed by the Commission suspending a bargaining period to allow a "cooling off" period.