FED:Union kingmaker backs Gillard IR scare

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2010
FED:Union kingmaker backs Gillard IR scare

CANBERRA, Aug 20 AAP - A key player in the removal of Kevin Rudd - union official Paul
Howes - has come out in support of Prime Minister Julia Gillard's fresh attack on Tony
Abbott over Work Choices.

With the latest Newspoll showing Labor's primary support has fallen three points to
35 per cent, Ms Gillard launched a fevered assault against the opposition leader on Friday
morning.

"There is a real risk that Mr Abbott will be prime minister of Australia on Sunday,"

the prime minister said while standing in front of a group of workers in Gosford.

"If Mr Abbott is elected as prime minister Work Choices will be back."

Mr Abbott has repeatedly assured voters that Work Choices is "dead, buried and cremated".

He's also promised to leave Labor's Fair Work laws untouched in the first term of a
coalition government.

But Ms Gillard on Friday said he was trying to "hoodwink" voters.

It was a line that won immediate support from Mr Howes - the national secretary of
the Australian Workers' Union who played a pivotal role in Mr Rudd's downfall in June.

He threw the support of his union behind Ms Gillard early on, arguing a leadership
change was in the best interests of AWU members.

A day out from Saturday's poll, the union boss said an Abbott government would reintroduce
individual employment contracts "at the earliest opportunity".

"Tony Abbott and the Liberals have a not-so-secret plan to re-introduce the hated,
ugly individual employment contract AWAs," Mr Howes said in a statement.

There was evidence the global financial crisis was not yet over "and only Labor can
handle these tough economic times in a way that protects the interests of Australian working
people".

The coalition's campaign headquarters has issued a release that Labor had reverted
to type with "negativity, fear, smears and lies".

Mr Abbott reiterated he wouldn't be touching workplace laws.

"Our overriding commitment is to democracy and to respect the judgement of the people,"

he said, referring to the 2007 election result, which was seen as a clear rejection of
the Howard government's Work Choices regime.

"The clear message I've had from people over the last six months is that they've had
too much change in workplace relations.

"They just want stability - and that's what they'll get from us."

Opposition frontbencher Joe Hockey said the government was panicking after seeing the
latest poll.

"They are seriously hyperventilating," he said

AAP jcd/sb/it

KEYWORD: POLL10 WORKPLACE UPDATE

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