Fed: Gillard ramps up attack on coalition senators

AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2008
Fed: Gillard ramps up attack on coalition senators

CANBERRA, Feb 13 AAP - Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard says the opposition
will be showing contempt for voters if it blocks passage of the government's new industrial
relations platform.

Ms Gillard today stepped up her attack on the coalition as the opposition continued
to threaten blocking a bill she introduced to parliament today.

"We will insist on the Senate passing legislation which enables us to make good our
commitments to the Australian people," Ms Gillard said through a spokeswoman.

"If the Senate denies passage of our legislation, they are not frustrating the Labor
Party, they are treating the Australian people with contempt."

Ms Gillard's comments came less than an hour after she had introduced the government's
workplace relations transition bill.

The bill will help move employers and employees from the former Howard government's
controversial Work Choices laws to Labor's new laws, which will come into full effect
in 2010.

Earlier this month, opposition workplace relations spokeswoman Julie Bishop said she
could see strong reasons to retain Australian Workplace Agreements, one of the most controversial
aspects of Work Choices.

Labor will have to wait until August to negotiate passage of the bill with a new group
of senators if the opposition chooses to block the legislation.

AAP pv/rl/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE SENATE

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