WorkChoice: Howard's monster unleashed

$55 million later - that is, after the Federal Government's profligate waste on advertising the benefits of the new IR laws - it seems all is not all that well with this allegedly great advancement for the workers of Australia.

As Peter Hartcher, political editor of the SMH, writes this morning:

"This week the Prime Minister, John Howard, entered the third phase of his handling of his new workplace laws. It was the week Howard stopped pretending that it was all going to be all right and admitted to his party that the public was "uneasy" about the new law.

It was the week Howard stopped the softly-softly approach and openly embraced the raw purpose of the system - that by allowing companies to cut wages, he hoped they could create jobs. It was a threshold moment for one of the greatest gambles of his fourth term".

Read Hartcher's article, here, as it is an interesting commentary on the critical issues thrown up by the new legislation and how PM Howard - now on the offensive - and his seemingly ever-obedient side-kick, Kevin Andrews, will have their work cut out to demonstate whatever benefits there ever were in the new Work Choices legislation.

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