Julia Gillard has succeeded in ruffling John Howard’s feathers in Question Time  with a series of questions about economic modelling. Since then, we’ve learnt that the Government has commissioned further modelling that not only rather blatantly asks tenderers to estimate the “economic benefits” of WorkChoices, but also to examine the “estimated costs” of Labor’s policy.

Whether this is an appropriate use of public funds might, perhaps, be a reasonable question. It doesn’t take a suspicious mind to wonder whether the results of this “modelling”, if a reputable economist can be found to work to such a loaded brief, might turn up in the business advertising campaign. After all, the BCA has form in producing ads heavy with graphs.

There’s a bit of an irony here connected to the whole question of government advertising. You couldn’t open a newspaper in the last week or so without coming across ads proclaiming the virtues of collective bargaining for small business.

If any interested Crikey readers followed the ads’ advice and visited the Government’s website, they’d happen across a fascinating document adorned with the fulsome endorsement of Small Business Minister Fran Bailey. Bailey, of course, is a connoisseur of advertising campaigning, having had ministerial responsibility for the “Where the bloody hell are you?” tourism ads.

Of particular interest in the booklet is section 2 listing all the benefits of collective bargaining for small business (“greater equality, flexibility, more buying and selling power, control, greater efficiencies”) and big business (“collaboration, one point of contact”).

Bailey enthuses that “we understand that one of the biggest concerns for small businesses is their comparative disadvantage when it comes to negotiating with big business”. She also points out that collective bargaining can save time for larger businesses compared to negotiating individually with suppliers and customers.

It’s a very cogent, and logical, case for the advantages of collective bargaining.

Perhaps the ACTU, if it’s looking for a strong and simple message for its advertising strategy, could borrow a leaf from the minister — and save some of their members’ dosh into the bargain?

As far as Crikey is aware, Bailey hasn’t yet been asked why the wonders of collective bargaining are not to be extended to employees as well as business. That might make for an interesting Question Time, too.