Senator FAULKNER (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate)(2.56 p.m.) —In relation to schedule 6, very briefly let me say that the Labor Party believes that the measures contained in schedule 6 to tighten industrial action provisions to ensure that where a person is unemployed as a result of industrial action the person will not be eligible for payment for six weeks after the industrial action has ceased are not only absolutely unreasonable but ideologically driven on the part of the government.

Our concerns are detailed very fully in the minority report that the opposition previously tabled in the parliament. Let me say very clearly so there can be no doubt about it: we believe that this proposal does not take sufficiently into account the new industrial relations regime that has been created by this government through the workplace relations legislation that the Senate gave so much attention to in the recent past. We believe this proposal is unreasonable; we believe it is unworkable; and we believe it is untenable. We state very clearly that this is unduly harsh. For that reason we propose removing schedule 6 from the bill.