Fielding deal kills WorkChoices forever

Julia Gillard has hailed a "new era of fair work" after the Government's industrial relations changes passed the Senate following a deal with Family First Senator Steve Fielding today.

The deal means that until 2011, a small business will be defined as having fewer than 15 full-time staff, or the equivalent. After that, it will only apply to those businesses with fewer than 15 in total.

The passage of the new laws was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who called it a "historic day" for Australia.

"We have buried WorkChoices," she said.

"Can I say to all those Australians who campaigned so hard to make sure that this nation did not keep these disgraceful laws, today is a day to be celebrated. We will now move to the era of fair work under Labor's Fair Work Bill."

"Family First has brokered a deal to ensure that WorkChoices is dead forever," Senator Fielding said.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon and the Opposition lost a vote to keep the definition at 20 employees but Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says there have been significant changes to Labor's proposals.

"A bad law has been made less bad so that it destroys fewer jobs," he said.

"There are 231 amendments to this bill, and a number of them have resulted in the Government abandoning positions that it took in a manner of complete retreat.

"They retreated from their position on right of entry for union officials to inspect non-members of unions records.

"The three criteria on which this law will be judged are jobs, jobs, jobs," he added.

"Every month there'll be a report card on the jobs figures and it's from that report card that we and all Australians will know the real impact of this law on jobs - because that's what it's all about."

Coalition frontbencher Eric Abetz lashed out at Senator Fielding.

"Nothing has changed except Senator Fielding's resolve to defend job creation in Australia," he said.

Earlier Ms Gillard said the Government would not compromise on its election policy of setting the threshold at 15 employees.

Under the new laws, those businesses defined as small businesses are given more freedom to fire workers who have been working with them for less than a year.

"What this shows is what can be achieved when people who are opposed to the disgraceful WorkChoices laws are committed to fairness and balance in Australian workplaces work together," Government frontbencher Joe Ludwig said.

Earlier today the Lower House stripped out Senate amendments, voted for last night, which set the definition of a small business at 20 employees.

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Fri 20th March 2009 - 07:21pm