Fiona, nice list. Unfortunately with a 350 word limit and only two posts per day per topic the list for the other major political option (Labor) is not going to appear here.

They all do things we don't like. The decision to vote for the coalition has problems, it only becomes easy when you compare it to the track record of the left of politics in running this country.
No need to be insulting about people who make a different choice to yourself, one of the joys of democracy is that we can make different value judgements. I get the impression reading posts to this side that few of us are entirely happy with any major political party, we support the one's which best reflect our values and lobby for change on the bits we don't like.

Now back to the topic. Interesting article. I am still trying to work out a viewpoint on the proposed changes and this was a perspective that I had not seen before

Arjay stop chasing Fiona around the forum, she always has legit postings even if you don't agree with them. Good article Irfan, of course little JH hasn't considered any legal outfall, he wants to get it away from the union movement as fast as possible and into the hands of the lawyers becasue it is less affordable to the common man. (Unions, whatever their faults may be, don't have the meter running). If the govt isn't about to put the old dog union down (which has been on its last legs through a lot of its own fault), workers themselves may just as well shoot it. Either way, the worker is potentially between a rock and a hard place. The govt is out to supress the unions, representative perhaps still these days, of the worker. The unions are only as strong as their members (the workers). If the govt "wins" the workers have lost anyway, the unions are obsolete. Whilst being a union officer for a long time of my working life, I just shake my head. We've been here before. But, let the games begin! It's always been about the power struggle and you don't necessarily have to bring the country to its knees. I'm a pluralist out of reality, not a unitarian or a marxist by the way, and GUESS WHAT! Now I am an insurance agent! That's another story however. By the way Robert, those thigh high stilleto boots look just great with your safari suit. (Being cute, not offensive)

Di, the boots should look better on you than the safari suit on me. Always cute.

I agree that workers are in for a rough time. Just not sure what the best way to deal with it is.

Di,Fiona instigated the challenge,I merely replied.I call it as I see it.Unfair dismissal has to go,we need to give employers a reason to employ people instead of looking upon them as the enemy.

Good employees are treasured people,however under NSW industrial relations private enterprise is laying workers off because of Govt regulation and interference.The present down turn in NSW economic activity is due to the Carr Govt taxes,over regulation and red tape.

We make up 40% of the Aust economy,and if we go under ,so does Australia.

Arjay, no challenge on unfair dismissal that myself or Fiona instigated. What is the bugbear employers have with sacking? It's still one of the easiest things to set an employee up to if you know how to play the book. Mass redundancies scare me more, especially coming from banks, they justify it till the cows come home and the employees get natch. the sacked CEO always take home some nice money. And that is always going to be my bitch. On the day Corby was sentenced, the govt gave themselves a cool $8000 each per annum increase. Wish my boss did that for me when I wasn't looking. Buried nicely amongst the Schappelle stuff. Less than a week later, they're screaming again at the ACTU and the (soon to die) AIRC about awarding the lowest paid workers a $20 odd dollar increase. The Sky is falling! So who's big fat snout is in the trough? The workers!? Hardly! The small employer's? Not! All animals are equal, but it helps if you're strutting along on your hind legs in the Paris end of Collins Street in a pinstripe suit.

Robert, always relieved that you are still un-safari suited, and hopefully unbooted, but sensibly shoed. Re what workers will face in the New JohnnyCab laws, I can only quote from Bette Davis in "All About Eve' (if you haven't seen it, get it on DVD or Video, great old movie with Marilyn Monroe's debut) Anyway, great line from Bette as she swigs a martini before going upstairs to powder her nose before hosting a party with swags of guests is "Fasten your seatbelts. We're in for a bumpy ride tonight" Or words to that effect. Then swanned up the stairs (as you do) with her gown swishing. Can't do that in safari suit. Or bike pants for that matter! getting back to what the Howard Govt is doing with the industrial laws is a total dismantling of rights that workers take for granted. As an industrial law backgound person that has worked on both sides of the fence and not necessarily agreed with the unions on a lot of things, I will always argue that workers need a safety guard which employers drag their feet at, such as OHS, WorkCover, super, et al. The union is now a toothless chiauau rather than a doberman, but it should really should be a kelpie.