Andrews has long wait ahead for Queensland IR powers

The federal Government has a long, long wait ahead of it before Queensland will ever cede its industrial relations powers, Employment and Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel said today.

Mr Mickel said Canberra’s boast that it would win the High Court challenge to its harsh Work Choice industrial laws and that Queensland would be one of the first states to hand over its IR powers was arrogant - and wrong.

“These comments by Employment Minister Kevin Andrews are simply ridiculous,” Mr Mickel said.

“The Queensland Government will not be abandoning the workers of this state under any circumstance.

“The federal industrial laws are harsh and unfair. The Queensland Government will not let workers and their families and communities down by jettisoning our commitment to fair and balanced industrial laws.

“Our laws, which are based on negotiation and the rule of the independent umpire, the Industrial Relations Commission, have seen the state become Australia’s economic and jobs powerhouse as well as a decline in industrial disputes.”

Mr Mickel said that even if the states lost their appeal in the High Court, Queensland would not cede any powers to Canberra.

“The Queensland Government is and will still be responsible for the laws governing 40 per cent of this state’s workers, at the very least, in both the public and private sectors,” he said.

“Those workers will not want us to abandon them to the federal laws – and we won’t.

“Mr Andrews would be better advised to tell the truth to tonight’s Liberal Party convention: that Queensland will be pursuing its own fair and reasonable industrial relations laws to ensure workers and employers shared equally in the state’s economic prosperity.”

Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.

3 November 2006