Bob Baldwin: Good Morning David

David Oldfield:  Bob this is just garbage isn’t it?  You point out quite rightfully that this is an act introduced by Julia Gillard personally in 2009, she wrote the act she knows what’s in it but she won’t use it because it hasn’t been used previously. What other laws have we got that we are not going to use because we haven’t used it before?

Bob Baldwin: Well this shows a Prime Minister that lacks gumption, lacks leadership and lacks confidence..well

David Oldfield:  How about lacks a brain and also takes the rest of us for fools.  I mean what sort of idiot would fall for this ol’ we are not going to use that law we haven’t used it before.  It’s not like it is something archaic.  I mean she had no intention..

Bob Baldwin: If she had no intention of …using the law she should never have introduced it as part of the Fair Work Australia Act.  But David the impact on our tourist industry is absolutely massive.  Those bedloss nights that have already occurred, the dollars that are lost can never be recovered and this means Cairns in particular in North Queensland…

David Oldfield:  Jobs, how many people must be on hold on their jobs?

Bob Baldwin: Well David, the tourism industry particularly in North Queensland, their peak season is still trying to financially recover after Cyclone Yasi and the floods further down the coast.  The reality is I had calls all over the weekend.  These people are in absolute despair, absolute despair and  you know for the next 21 days these people will sit with the uncertainty as people work out whether they are going to take the gamble and book their holidays through November to December. Will there be more airline strikes? Will they not be able to get there?  Will they not be able to get back home?  I mean this is an industry that produces $24bn worth of exports, adding $92 bn to the bottom line of our economy, 500,000 employees and this Prime Minister and the Tourism Minister have failed to stand up for them. 

David Oldfield:  Fair Work Australia decision you welcomed the decision?

Bob Baldwin: I welcome the decision because it actually gets planes back in the air which supports business and industry and tourism industry alike to get them back on the road.  Now this matter needs to be resolved. I’m not taking Qantas’s side, I’m not taking the Union’s side, I’m taking the tourism industry’s side and they want certainty.  They want an end to this mess and the Prime Minister who was put on notice on the 21^st October, when the TAA called on the Prime Minister to intervene to end the uncertainty.  Now what was happening as you know, the Unions would give notice that they were going to go on strike, Qantas would cancel flights and then they would say “no we are cancelling our industrial action” after the flights were already cancelled.  Now this was costing, according to Alan Joyce, $15 million a day.  My concern is this is costing over $100 million a day to the economy.

David Oldfield:  Yes now look certainly the cost to Qantas is small in comparison to the cost to the nation and of course to so many related jobs all over Australia, particularly in Queensland. 

Bob Baldwin: Well this is our national carrier and this is actually a national emergency, which requires the Prime Minister to step up to the plate, now this Prime Minister hasn’t stepped up to the plate, hasn’t done it in the due and diligent time.  It hasn’t delivered the outcome. What this has now delivered is 21 days of uncertainty and people planning their holidays , particularly those who can barely afford to go on holidays, may have saved up for a year or two years to do it are going to pull the pin because they can’t afford to be caught out. 

David Oldfield:  Bob Baldwin, Shadow Minister for Tourism, appreciate your time, all the best  Bob.

Bob Baldwin:  Thanks David.

(END)