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I know many people are very strongly opposed to Australia's new industrial relations reforms. I must admit that I am really not a very political person. I don't particularly dislike John Howard and the liberals, but I don't particularly like Kim Beazley and the labour party. I don't have anything against people who are particularly swayed either way... Many of my friends are staunch supporters of one or the other side. Generally I don't engage in political discussions because I don't feel that have the necessary information or feel the need to put up a convincing argument. I believe every person is entitled to his or her own view, and should vote accordingly.

As far as the IR reforms go, I know that there are alot of people out there who will be screwed over by them: people who can't, for whatever reason, negotiate for themselves, people who are put in a certainly unenviable and often untenable position by their employers. However, I'm the daughter of a small-business owner. I work for his small business, the same one that our family has been running for 25 years. My view on these reforms are based on the struggle that i've seen my dad go through, particularly over the last few years, with employees who think they have the world owed to them, and who were virtually impossible to sack. He was taken to the workers tribunal by the ONE woman he finally did need to sack: a woman who had been stealing, lying, cheating and sowing discord within our workplace. He gave her a MORE than fair severance (alot more than she was owed, certainly more than he had to give her), and was then ordered to pay her 6 months salary. He thought it worth the money to get rid of her.

My dad is a very fair employer. Actually, he's more than fair, he's generous. Many of his employees have been with him for 10, 15 some for 20 years. He doesn't sack people "just because." He doesn't sack people because they cause him a few headaches. He hasn't sacked people and re-hired them, forcing them to sign workplace agreements. In fact, nothing here has changed, conditions or pay-wise since the new laws came into effect. He is one of the honest employers who will greatly benefit from the fewer restrictions placed on small businesses under the new laws.

This morning I read an opinion piece in The Age by Paul Sheehan. In it, he refers to the advertising campaign against the IR reforms, the ones with the so-called "tv martyrs" who have all lost their jobs since June the new laws came into effect. I must admit, i am habitually cynical about the validity and authenticity of such advertisements. Sheehan writes: "When the new federal agency set up to protect workers' rights, the Office of Workplace Services (OWS), investigated most of these cases, it found the bulk of the claims were a load of crap. The new industrial relations laws were not to blame for the dismissals." Apparently I was right to be sceptical.

I don't think that there will ever be a government that everybody agrees on, it is the way of the world. There will never be industrial relations laws that work for everyone. Sad, but true. I do think though, that if either side is going to engage in advertising of any description, they should at least present the truth.