The Guardian 31 January, 2007
Why Joe Hockey is new IR Minister
John Howard’s decision to put Joe Hockey into the workplace relations portfolio is an explicit acknowledgement that voter opposition to WorkChoices is a big problem for the Coalition. Kevin Andrews held the party line on IR and even had a win of sorts when the Commonwealth saw off the High Court challenge by the states to the federal laws.
But he failed in one of the core tasks of a cabinet minister — convincing a majority of voters of the merits of government policy.
A special Newspoll on the workplace laws last month told the story. It showed the changes had failed to win over voters, with many still believing they were bad for the economy and jobs.
Just 14 per cent of voters believed they would be better off under the changes. More than double this number — 33 per cent — believed WorkChoices would be personally detrimental. Critically, this included 17 per cent of Coalition voters.
In other words, Andrews was not even able to convince a slab of the Government’s own supporters of the benefits of the laws.
Compounding the Coalition’s difficulties was Kevin Rudd’s elevation of his accomplished high-profile deputy, Julia Gillard, into the industrial relations portfolio.
The Prime Minister deemed a fresh salesman was necessary. Hockey is seen as a better media performer, an apparently important attribute in this era of spin. Hockey had his first public relations "victory" last week when got car components manufacturer Tristar to agree to making a $50,000 redundancy payment to a dying man, John Beaven.
The mass media played ball, as the government tried to absolve itself from responsibility for the plight of this worker under its WorkChoices legislation. But what the media does not mention is that the Coalition government stood by for the past seven years as Tristar’s workforce struggled to protect their entitlements. The $50,000 payment is more than $100,000 less than he would have received if still under the old pre-WorkChoice and other Howard government legislation. There are another 35 or so employees of Tristar who are also being denied their rights to redundancy payments (more on this in next week’s Guardian).
Voters tempted to believe the personnel move will result in a policy shift should think again. It is still the same, ultra reactionary, anti-worker, anti-union, pro-big business government that it has been for the past 10 years.
The names may be shuffled around, but its ideology and program remain the same. As Hockey said praising Andrews, the Government is not about to give any policy ground to Labor or the union movement. "We’re not for turning on this legislation", he said. "I am absolutely committed to this policy because it’s about Australia’s economic future."
Hockey, however, is media-savvy, as witnessed by his performances on the Seven Network’s Sunrise program with Labor leader Kevin Rudd and the use of a dying worker to present the impression that it is looking after workers. Nothing could be further from the truth!