Mr STEPHEN SMITH (2:35 PM) —My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, isn’t it the case that the government’s own statistics released in May show that under the government’s industrial relations legislation 16 per cent of AWAs remove all protected award conditions in full, 27 per cent remove public holiday loadings, 29 per cent remove rest breaks, 52 per cent remove shift loadings, 63 per cent remove penalty rates, 64 per cent remove leave loadings and 100 per cent remove at least one of the above? Prime Minister, isn’t this why the government now refuses to release up-to-date statistical information on these protected award conditions cut from AWAs and why the Prime Minister refuses to guarantee that no worker will be worse off under his legislation?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —I thank the member for Perth. He has made a welcome reappearance. We have not heard a lot from the member for Perth for the last month or so, but it is nice to have him back from the interchange bench. What I think the member for Perth fails to appreciate and acknowledge in his question is that, long before Work Choices was introduced, there were often arrangements whereby increases in salary were granted in lieu of some of the matters to which he has referred.

Ms Owens interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! The member for Parramatta!

Mr HOWARD —If you are going to have a proper analysis of how people are treated, you have to look at aggregate wage outcomes. As I keep reminding the member for Perth, wages continue to rise, people continue to have jobs, unemployment continues to fall—

Ms Gillard interjecting—

The SPEAKER —The member for Lalor is warned!

Mr HOWARD —and the number of strikes continues to diminish. The world does not come to an end. I know you are sad and unhappy. I know you are devastated. It didn’t quite work out as you had hoped, but the Australian people, as every week goes by, know that your crowd have been running a phoney scare campaign about Work Choices. They are awake to you. They will increasingly realise how you have tried to dupe them and they will know, as the months go by, that the best friend the workers of Australia have are the Liberal and National parties.