Name: CHAN, Sin Fong
Subject: Workplace discrimination
Visit Time: 28/11/2007 12:56 AM
Remark:
The Parliament is the workplace for parliamentarians, and we the citizens of Australia are the employers of the parliamentarians. For those who voted John Howard out of office because he had been there for too long, or he was too old to be the Prime Minister, then those voters would have been in breach of workplace discrimination Act.
It is interesting to note that after Mr John Howard’s debacle, many former Liberal MPs blamed him directly and indirectly for the introduction of AWA / WorkChoices. I find these former MPs to be very un-Australian, and un-Liberal. They were in with the government team. Were they just naive or plain ignorant to play the follow-the-leader game, or just gutless to confront the former PM to raise their concern?
Many programs or projects cannot achieve perfection at first go, not even the billion-dollar lunar exploration program. If AWA / WorkChoices were so bad, why did the small businesses and WA mining industry welcome them? That proved that not everyone disagreed with the introduction and implementation. Space exploration techniques have been improved and refined so much that present day probes go beyond the solar system. AWA / WorkChoices can be amended and enhanced to be “fairer” to the workers and employers.
Many students found part time and casual jobs to support their studies because businesses were prepared to take them on without the fear of union interference.
I hope that the pendulum does not just swing from one extreme to another. We don’t live in a world of just black and white – there are many shades of grey.
