Page 22 of yesterday’s House of Representatives Hansard deserves the widest possible
audience:

Workplace
Relations

Mr SWAN
(2.39
pm)—My
question is directed to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer confirm that he was
briefed on modelling undertaken by his department in April and May of this year estimating
the impact of workplace relations proposals on employment, wages and
productivity? Treasurer, what precisely did this modelling show? If the
modelling backs up the $50 million advertising campaign claims of more jobs and
higher wages, why has the government chosen to keep it
secret?

Mr
COSTELLO—I thank the honourable member for
his question. I was rather surprised to read in the Australian on
Saturday that the Howard government was concealing especially
commissioned advice from the Treasury. It was certainly news to me. When
inquiries were made of the Treasury—

Mr
Ripoll—It’s so secret
they didn’t even tell you.

The
SPEAKER—The member
for Oxley is warned!

Mr
COSTELLO—For once he has said something
halfway decent in the House, and he is absolutely right: it was so secret that
this report had not even been written. That is how secret it was. Not only was
it so secret that it had not even been written; it was so secret that it had
been neither written nor released, which I have to say was one of those
top-secret things. In fact the Treasury—

MrRipoll interjecting—

The
SPEAKER—The member
for Oxley will remove himself under standing order
94(a).

The
member for Oxley then left the chamber.

Mr
COSTELLO—The Treasury
put out a press release on Saturday—

Mr
Albanese—Put your
hands up, Pete.

The
SPEAKER—Order! The
member for Grayndler will also remove himself under standing order
94(a).

The
member for Grayndler then left the
chamber.

Mr
COSTELLO—In fact the Treasury put out a
press release on Saturday confirming that it had not been commissioned to
provide specific advice, nor had it written a report, nor had the report been
concealed. So I regret to inform the honourable member for Lilley that the story
was wrong. In fact I pay tribute to him for actually getting a false story up on
the front page of the Australian. It rather reminded me of a $600 payment
that did not exist.

MrSwan interjecting—

The
SPEAKER—Order! The
member for Swan!

Mr
Wilkie—What?
Me?

The
SPEAKER—I’m sorry.
The member for Lilley.

Mr
COSTELLO—Mr Speaker, the member for Lilley is a
swan—

A government
member—No, he’s a
rooster.

Mr
COSTELLO—who metamorphoses into a rooster
early in the morning: as the cock crows the swan flies
off.

Mr
Swan—Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The
Treasurer should remember that when turkeys mate they think of
swans.

The
SPEAKER—The member
for Lilley will resume his seat. Has the Treasurer finished his
answer?

Mr
COSTELLO—I would be surprised if
Mr Smith and Senator Conroy think of the member for Lilley
when they mate, Mr Speaker. They would be needing a good
deal of pharmaceutical treatment if they
did.

What about us? What about the punters listening to this
exchange? Any more and we’ll need medicating,
too.