If the polls are correct, many are on the porch with the baseball bats ready.

I agree Hedgehog, most people I know who voted for him last have told me that if this is what he stands for they will never (as opposed to never ever) vote for him again.

The current system of protections of employment related conditions acts as an incentive in the less prosperous times for employers to look for more innovative ways to cut costs. My fear is that in a completely deregulated environment employers will slash workers conditions first leaving them (the workers) less inclined to assist the company out of it's crisis.

I suspect most employers will be too dumb to work out that an attack on conditions will result in a loss of employee loyalty.

Jake seems to have met many of the employers i have.

Around 46 percent of jobs created between 1993 and 2003 paid uder $26000 a year. IR reforms or not we are a dog eat dog society already.
Tuff luck if your not the best of the best.
All employers will use and abuse, it doesnt matter who you work for in my experience.

Howard's arguement for IR reforms is completely flawed. If it's actually true we are experiencing a booming economy and near full employment, the logical economic step for our nation to take is not to create more employment, but rather to increase investment in education and training, especially trades skills training. This is consistent with the skills shortage we are experiencing, and the lack of doctors, nurses, trades people and other service professionals in the community.

It is also consistent with my experience as a primary and secondary teacher for 10 years, where politicians on both sides have starved the schools of proper funding, and deprived teachers of the authority, respect, and resources to teach.

John Howard has virtually destroyed the Tertiary education system, and the TAFE trades, training, traineeships, and apprenticeships system. He will eventually go down as the worst Prime Minister and most corrupt politician this nation has ever had. Mark my words.

For further information, please view my website; http://onenationwa.tripod.com/
Teresa van Lieshout.

While it might be strategic to introduce IR legislation while having a recession, it would be an unethical thing to do. The promotion of the IR legislation has been introduced in an unprecedented manner at a huge cost. Already examples have been found in relation to WA, Victoria and New Zealand to show that the legislation is unfair and damaging to numerous groups of employees.

When Mr. Howard states that the IR laws will be great; he is using the fundamental orifice of a bull as his megaphone.