Hunt, Doug (1997) Industrial relations and Queensland public policy: the demise of sovereignty? Queensland Review, 4 (2). pp. 75-86.

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Abstract

On 11 November 1996 the Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett announced that his government would refer its powers over industrial relations to the Commonwealth. This decision, he said, "reflects the overwhelming consensus among industrial relations experts that a single industrial relations system is both desirable and inevitable". The announcement was greeted enthusiastically by the proposed recipients: to the Prime Minister, John Howard, it was a "practical example of cooperative Commonwealth/State relations" and "a ringing endorsement of the Federal Government's industrial relations reforms". The Minister for Industrial Relations, Peter Reith (who, was credited with successful negotiation of the intergovernmental agreement on the terms of referral) hailed it as "a major microreform initiative."1 Media commentary was only marginally less optimistic. It was reported that the other key national players - the ACTU, employers, the federal Opposition and the Democrats - also welcomed the move to a unitary industrial system. Benefits were seen in the elimination of duplication and administrative hurdles, making the state more attractive for overseas investors, and in the provision of an enhanced safety net for Victorian workers. The general theme of the coverage was summed up in the comment that the decision was "a victory for the national interest".

Item ID:	5606
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1321-8166
Additional Information:	This publication does not have an abstract. The first paragraphs of this chapter are displayed as the abstract.
Date Deposited:	30 Nov 2009 23:54
FoR Codes:	15 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 1503 Business and Management > 150306 Industrial Relations @ 60% 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1605 Policy and Administration > 160510 Public Policy @ 40%
SEO Codes:	91 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 9104 Management and Productivity > 910401 Industrial Relations @ 60% 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9402 Government and Politics > 940204 Public Services Policy Advice and Analysis @ 40%
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