Mr BEVIS —My question is to the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. Minister, do you recall saying in your leaked letter to the Prime Minister that using the corporations power for industrial laws provides a method of opting out of state awards? Do you also recall promoting the transfer of state industrial relations powers to the Commonwealth in that letter by saying `the New South Wales opposition has long been attracted to this reform'? Minister, given your support yesterday for using the corporations power, could you advise the House what evidence has lead you to conclude that the New South Wales Liberals support this move? What discussions have you actually undertaken with the New South Wales Liberals about this?

Mr REITH (Workplace Relations and Small Business) —I must say that the honourable member seems to have an abysmal lack of understanding of some of these fairly basic issues. He asks whether or not the corporations power could be used for people to opt out of state awards.

Mr Bevis —That's what you said; that's what was in your letter to the Prime Minister.

Mr REITH —Quite frankly, big deal! You do not even understand how the system works today. Quite frankly, the shadow minister shows no capacity to even understand basic issues about how the system operates.

Mr Bevis interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —The minister will resume his seat. The member for Brisbane has been here long enough to know that the behaviour he is presently exhibiting is quite unacceptable.

Mr Bevis interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —I warn the member for Brisbane. I call the minister and ask him to address his remarks through the chair.

Mr REITH —The point I make, Mr Speaker—

Mr Adams interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —I warn the member for Lyons.

Mr REITH —The point I make is that, if you are a body corporate today and you are subject to state industrial laws but you wish to use the federal system for agreement making, there is nothing to stop you. That happens today. That was part of the Workplace Relations Act. In terms of the policy position of the New South Wales state opposition, there have been various statements by members of the state opposition in New South Wales over the years. The statements they make are a matter for them. Our policy position has been to have a simpler system by encouraging harmonisation between the two systems.

The question today of the member for Brisbane is like his inane press release of yesterday. It was inane. Even ACTU President Jennie George said, `On the face of it, Mr Reith's proposal to allow the commission to make common rule awards which applied to all workers in an industry may be helpful.' Leigh Hubbard—he is not exactly on our side, is he?—also said, `On the face of it, it sounds good.' He qualified the statement, but at least he was prepared to say, `Well, here's an idea. Let's talk about it.' Andrew Murray, a senator for the Democrats, was quoted in the AAP as saying:

. . . some parts of the plan could be supported.

. . . . . . . . .

Senator Murray also agreed with Mr Reith that the system could cover the entire community.

He then went on to make some positive comments. If you are going to be a frontbencher, whether on this side or the other side, you do have to have a capacity to understand the issues and to have a considered response to sensible proposals. It is not just a problem for you that you are a former trade union official. The fact is that you do not even understand how the system operates today. It is no wonder you have no policies and it is no wonder you are such a pushover for the trade union leadership.