Nostradamus he ain’t

A strong economy and decent jobs are not, and never have been, mutually exclusive concepts. The number of collective agreements currently in force proves it.

More collective agreements and less individual contracts under an ALP government will not, in Howard’s parlance, turn back the clock. What will is the Federal Government allowing for contracts that provide no compensation for irregular or long hours.

The current IR debate is one about the kind of jobs Australians want. One alternative is where Australians’ working rights are respected through decent and dignified work that supports them and their families, while allowing working families to share in the abundant wealth of a growing western economy.

The other is where Australians work longer for less money, at the expense of time with families, friends and participation in their local community for the sake of higher corporate profits.

The majority of Australians want the first option, and arguably Howard does too. The problem for the PM is that the desperate defence of his IR changes sounded as though he knows his laws and what Australians want from an IR system are mutually exclusive.

He has a choice to make. So do the rest of us.