MARK DREYFUS MP

I challenge him to explain to the House how these are to be properly regarded as some massive exercise of removing red tape or implementing savings for the Australian community.

It is good to see the Abbott government continuing to implement these Labor reforms.

Australians should be concerned as to what Repeal Day is really about, beneath the glib rhetoric and populist grandstanding of the Prime Minister and his acolytes, because what Repeal Day is really about is the tearing away of many good and responsible protections that Australians rely on and trust their governments to enact and enforce.

Jobs have been under attack in this nation since the Abbott government came to power. In just the last four months we have seen appalling job losses announced at Qantas, Holden, Toyota, Forge Group, Alcoa and Sensis, to name only a few of the larger companies.

Perhaps if Senator Brandis spent less time requisitioning taxpayer funded bookshelves to house his taxpayer funded personal library and more time visiting ATSILS and other community legal centres, he would understand just how much damage his cuts are doing to access to justice in our nation.

I congratulate the organisers of all of these open water swims. They are terrific community events and very useful fundraisers for each of the clubs.

I rise to commend St Louis de Montfort's Primary School in Aspendale for the wonderful environmental-learning opportunities they are providing students through their 'sustainability precinct' that includes a vegetable garden, orchard, chicken coop and student kitchen.

It is right that the voice of youth be heard, and that we support such initiatives promoted by groups like UN Youth. I congratulate Laura on her outstanding achievement, and wish her every success in her role as the 2014 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations. Without doubt, the contribution made to the community by young people like Laura will help build a better Australia and a more harmonious and just world.

What we are seeing here today is that the party of Work Choices is back in government. They cannot wait to reintroduce the harsh regime of Work Choices, and this is the first taste we are seeing of it. 

It is simply not good enough for the new government to blindly pursue an ideological agenda without reference to some actual societal problem, without reference to some actual concern or some actual wrongdoing that is occurring that requires this drastic increase in the level of regulation.