CONDUCT OF THE INQUIRY
The Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1996 was
introduced into the House of Representatives on 23 May 1996. It was
passed by that House on 26 June 1996 and introduced into the Senate
on 27 June 1996. In anticipation of its introduction into the Senate,
the Opposition moved on 23 May 1996 that the Bill be referred to the
Senate Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 22 August
1996, contingent on its first reading in the Senate. Following the Bill's
first reading in the Senate on 27 June 1996 the terms of reference of
the inquiry were formally referred to the Committee.
The Committee advertised in the national press on 1 June 1996 and submissions
were called for by 28 June 1996. By 19 August 1996, the Committee had
received some 1431 submissions. A full list of submissions received
from individuals and organisations is given in Appendix I.
The terms of reference required the Committee to conduct public hearings
`in all capital cities'. A total of 18 public hearings were held over
21 working days commencing in Melbourne on 4 July 1996 and ending in
Canberra on 1 August 1996. The Committee met in 13 cities, including
5 regional centres, taking a total of 2225 pages of evidence. This is
believed to be the most concentrated public inquiry phase ever undertaken
by a Senate Committee. A list of the dates and places of those public
hearings is given in Appendix II and a list of the witnesses heard is
given in Appendix III.
In total, the Committee received 1,431 written submissions, 328 of
which were from groups and the rest were from individuals. The majority
of submissions from individuals wrote brief letters in opposition to
the proposed legislation. Of the submissions made by groups 180 were
from unions, 90 were from community groups, 44 were from employers and
employer organisations, 21 were from government representatives or Members
of Parliament, 14 were from law firms or organisations of lawyers, and
12 submissions were made by academics. The Committee also received 351
form letters and 2061 signatures on petitions.
Oral evidence was taken from 69 unions, 29 community organisations,
24 employer groups and individual employers, 14 government representatives
or Members of Parliament, 7 academics, and 62 individuals.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions placed a substantial submission
before the Committee which argued against the Bill in the whole, and
against many of the provisions of the Bill in detail. Many State labor
councils, provincial trades and labour councils, individual unions and
their state branches also made lengthy representations to the Committee.
In essence, the same arguments were repeated in most union submissions,
as they made particular reference to concerns in specific industries,
states, and/or regions. In describing the evidence put before the Committee
against the proposed Workplace Relations Bill, this report has taken
the major arguments as presented by the ACTU. Information presented
by individual unions has usually only been recorded when it has been
divergent or additional to that presented by the ACTU.
Similarly, support for the legislation was given by both individual
employer groups and their representative bodies, and by some state governments.
Throughout this report, general comments in support of the Bill have
been taken from the submissions made by peak bodies such as the Australian
Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Views expressed by community groups and individuals, such as university
academics, have also been cited where relevant. It should be noted,
however, that the time frame for this inquiry has precluded a full and
thorough analysis of the vast amount of evidence presented in submissions
and orally to the Committee.