Oz election thread #3 - Rudd's Labour

I do think it's odd that the word 'lazy' has been batted around a bit.

Under the deal, announced in the Senate a few minutes ago, the Government will allow for transitional arrangements on the definition of a small business captured by the Government's unfair dismissal law.

Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard had insisted on a definition of a small business as having a head count of 15 workers but Senator Fielding had argued for a small business definition of 15 full-time equivalent employees.

The definition was crucial because it represented the cut off at which unfair dismissal laws applied for 12 months for new employees rather than the six month probation period for larger workplaces.

Under the compromise, a small business will be defined as having 15 full-time equivalent workers until January 1, 2011. After that date the definition will revert to a simple head count of 15 workers.

"This is an historic day as we rid the nation of Work Choices against the fierce opposition of the Coalition,” said the Government's leader of Government business Joe Ludwig.

As Ms Gillard watched in the Senator chamber from the Government's advisor's box, Senator Ludwig said: ""This is a complete political humiliation of the Coalition,” he said.

But the Opposition Leader of Business Senator Eric Abetz said: “It is regrettable some Senators have now allowed the deputy prime minister off the hook of her own arrogance.”

The Fair Work bill returned to the Senate this afternoon after the Government rejected six Senate amendments, including a push to make the new definition of a small business.

The latest Age/Nielsen poll has found 51 per cent of voters oppose Australia's current involvement. Two-thirds of voters oppose any increase in the number of Australian troops in Afghanistan.

The findings follow Mr Rudd's enthusiastic response in the US to President Barack Obama's revamped strategy to try to win the war.

The strategy " an integrated approach of increased military effort, training of Afghan security forces and civil aid "was described by Mr Rudd as "absolutely right".

Although he insisted there had been no direct request from the US for more Australian forces during his visit to Washington, his support for the renewed American effort was interpreted as flagging the likelihood that Australia would increase its troop commitment.

Mr Rudd admitted during a TV interview in the US last week that the war in Afghanistan did not have broad voter support in Australia.

Today's poll confirms that opposition is increasing. In February 2006, an Age/Nielsen poll found that 48 per cent of Australians opposed the war, while 45 per cent supported it. Support has now slipped to 44 per cent, and opposition is the majority position. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, a Nielsen poll in October 2001 revealed 70 per cent support for the war on terrorism, though Afghanistan was not specifically named in the question.

I was always opposed to the Iraq deployment, and always in favour of the Afghanistan deployment. My mind hasn't changed.

So...we just changed bums, eh?

Just glad to see those ******* laws gone!!!

No more bums for our PMs, I say!!!