IR Laws: 19th or 21st century?

Professor Joe Isaac is a former deputy president of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. It follows that he knows a thing or three about IR laws.

The Age has printed an edited extract of the 21st Foenander Lecture, delivered by Professor Isaac at Melbourne University last Monday night:

"The Prime Minister says the Australian economy has performed strongly in recent years. Australians have enjoyed higher living standards from a combination of prudent economic management, strong jobs growth, higher real wages, low inflation and interest rates, lower taxes, increased family benefits and improved government services.

If so, why do we need WorkChoices?

John Howard's answer is that we "must press ahead with economic reform if we are to prosper in the 21st century … We do not believe the lemon has been squeezed dry in industrial relations reform."

It is relevant to note that the concept underlying this legislation is substantially in line with Howard's JobsBack industrial relations policy of October 1992. More than 20 years have passed without having to squeeze the lemon dry, yet the economy has prospered. Why should we accept that it is now necessary to squeeze the lemon dry to meet the next 20 years?"

Read the full text of The Age article here. It does strongly suggest that Howard and Co's Work Choices legislation is idealogy-driven.

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