Question Time

[Oakvale]

Mr. Speaker,

While the honorable member's question was directed to the Minister for Social Protection, labor relations as distinct from worker protection and so on comes under the purview of the Justice Department so if I may I will answer the member's question.

This government is a friend of working South Americans and will endeavour to protect the rights of workers. We have no objection to unionisation in principle, provided it does not cripple business, endanger the security of the nation, or act as a strangehold on innovation and growth.

What this government, since we are not a Socialist government, will not do is throw ourselves at the mercy of the capricious demands of sectional factions and self-interested big labor. The government does not accept the false dichotomy that pits business against workers.

Because we place the highest priority on the liberal principle of fairness and opportunity for all, the government opposes union shops.

[Oakvale]

To ask the Prime Minister whether the surfeit of 'Senior Advisors' on the ministerial payroll is a good use of taxpayers money or an example of craven nepotism.

Mr. Speaker,

I hope the irony of the right honorable member's charges is not lost on all those in attendance here. Socialism is synonymous with governmental bloat. How tedious, asinine, and possibly deceptive of the Socialists in this body to turn a blind eye to our neighbors to the north. Each day, millions of people are forced by circumstance to awake or be born into the socialist nightmare that is Atlasia. Their rise to power in the north was paved with tawdry political parlor tricks such as frivolous charges of nepotism. Be mindful of the political ploys and deceptions of the Socialists and their Red allies. This Government keep those forces at bay and we ask the people of South America to join us putting the work of the people firmly ahead of politics.

Hear hear!

[Oakvale]

Mr. Speaker,

I thank the honorable member for his question. It's an important one. Justice department policy as it stands in relation to uncontacted peoples is not yet unified - constituent nations in the relevant area will continue to pursue their own policy until such a federal approach is devised at the appropriate juncture. My personal view would be that a position of careful and tightly controlled contact, respecting the rights of the indigenous peoples, is the best way forward.

[Oakvale]

Mr. Speaker, if I can interject, I assume the honorable member is aware that the house is currently voting on confidence in our policy agenda and has in fact just passed an absolute majority in support. His question is thus perplexing. It is rather embarrassing that an elected MP and a prominent private citizen both apparently missed this.

I also must confess that I find this talk of jokes ironic considering his party's leader, who does not even have a seat in the house, is reduced to snipping at our heels in the various public office threads while their deposed premier languishes in inactivity.

[Oakvale]

I'd actually second the idea that a debate during the election campaign would be better than a session of Question Time.

[Oakvale]

If i might answer for the government for Mr. Cranberry's question - yes and yes. The speech outlining the program for government and a confidence vote will be put before the house.