Senator CAMPBELL (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government)(12.43 p.m.) —Senator Bishop raised a very interesting point, trying to say that productivity and international competitiveness are different. Yes, they are, but productivity would increase our international competitiveness. I think you would agree. I think we agreed with Paul Keating about that. I think all of us would also agree that you would have to do a whole range of things if you wanted to increase our exports and increase our living standards.

Senator Childs, through you, Mr Chairman: you may have tried very hard with Laurie Brereton when you were putting his legisla tion through your caucus three or so years ago to get `better pay' into the objects of the existing law. Over the last two or three days I have looked very hard to find `better pay' in the Brereton legislation. `Better pay' begs the question `better than what?' The coalition has committed higher living standards as an object of this act.

Senator Jacinta Collins —How? How will this bill do that?

Senator CAMPBELL —Senator Childs, I presume that if you are supporting the opposition amendments, you support that object as well. But that is the answer to better pay.

As to how, Senator Collins, there will be an ongoing debate as to whether this legislation will achieve our objects or not. There was a long debate about whether Mr Brereton's bill achieved its objects. We do know what it achieved in relation to unfair dismissals and a few other matters. We have evidence of that now. That is why most people in Australia support many of the provisions of this bill in relation to that particular aspect.