Question Time

School Christmas Concerts

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:31): Supplementary: despite the minister's previous support for deregulated shop trading hours, insisting that workers will be allowed to refuse outside of hours work, is he now saying that workers should not be allowed to refuse outside of regular hours work?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:31): It is an interesting extrapolation from the question, but I am very happy to respond if it is in order. It is quite clear from the position that the bosses of the union movement have adopted in relation to the teachers union that they are massively out of touch with the community and parent response in relation to these issues. In relation to the issue of shop trading hours, 70 per cent of people in the community support the government's position of freedom of choice in relation to shop trading hours, so there is massive support for the government's position on freedom of choice in shop trading hours.

I am saying here that there is massive support from the community and parents for this government's position in opposition to the out-of-touch union bosses, who are not only going to cause sadness and grief to the poor kids in the primary schools of Adelaide who just want to see their parents' smiling faces at a Christmas concert, but the grinches within the union movement, the grinches on the Labor Party backbench, are stealing Christmas. They are stealing Christmas from the children in the primary schools of Adelaide. Shame on the union bosses, and shame on the Labor Party—they are all Christmas grinches.