The federal government has accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of being dishonest about his plans to bring back elements of Work Choices.
Mr Abbott has called for more flexibility in the workplace and for the workplace relations pendulum to move back to the “sensible centre”.
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury says his comments show the coalition is planning to bring back elements of Work Choices.
Tony Abbott was starting to give the “first nod and a wink” to the business community.
“He doesn’t want to be honest with the Australian people about exactly what his plans are, when it comes to workplace relations,” Mr Bradbury told Sky News on Thursday.
“He should come clean (and) he should tell people exactly which elements of Work Choices it is he’s going to bring back.”
Mr Abbott said the security and prosperity of Australian workers needs to be addressed.
“Right now we have got a flexibility problem, we have got a militancy problem, we have got a productivity problem,” he told reporters in western Sydney on Thursday.
Mr Abbott rejected as “absolutely wrong” government suggestions he was about slashing wages and conditions.
“The one thing that Australian workers will find is that I am their best friend,” he said, adding he wanted to see higher wages and more jobs.
Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten accused Mr Abbott of using “weasel words” saying it was easy for the opposition leader to get up in front of a group of business people and tell them what they wanted to hear.
“What the Liberals do when they get into power is they cut workers’ conditions,” he told ABC Television.
They had a vision of Australia of low wages for workers and high profits for companies, he said.
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