http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/28/3255922.htmLiberal Party 'committed in its soul' to WorkChoicesBy Jeremy Thompson and staffMr Reith, who was a minister in the Howard government, has urged the party to adopt a more muscular industrial relations policy after losing a tilt for the federal Liberal presidency.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has sought to avoid debate on the issue, to avoid a Labor campaign on the divisive WorkChoices policy.
Mr Abbott says he wants to change workplace relations laws, but his policy will not be ideological.
But the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Jeff Lawrence, says Mr Abbott is under internal pressure to take a draconian approach.
"We see here a pattern - every time the Liberal Party has an opportunity to attack workers' rights, it does," he said.
"The Liberal Party is absolutely committed in its soul to WorkChoices.
"Our fear is that Mr Abbott - notwithstanding that he can see some electoral advantage in keeping his intentions secret - will actually succumb to this, and will commit to an industrial relations policy which is effectively a return to WorkChoices."
Mr Reith has already begun his campaign for workplace relations reform, saying WorkChoices was not necessarily the reason for the election loss in 2007.
"The WorkChoices thing has been made - even by our own side - into this sort of huge bogeyman. You know, 'we lost the election because of WorkChoices'," he said.
"Even if they got back to the legislation we had in '96 which worked really well, which the Democrats all went along with at the time, Australia would be a lot better instead of going backwards which is where we've gone under Julia Gillard."
Employer organisation the Australian Industry Group has also added its voice to calls for industrial relations reform.
It wants changes to the Federal Government's Fair Work Act, which replaced WorkChoices.
The group says it has discovered significant problems with some parts of the legislation and wants an open inquiry.
Chief executive Heather Ridout says union bargaining claims which restrict the hiring of contractors and other labour need to be outlawed.
She says federal and state governments should use their purchasing power to drive industrial relations reform to ensure suppliers to governments maintain flexible workplace practices.
Ms Ridout says the debate needs to move on from the "accusations and recriminations" about WorkChoices.
She says that the problems in the Fair Work Act must be addressed, "rather than continuing to adopt the view that further workplace relations reform is too hard or too risky".
"No country can afford to freeze in time its workplace relations system - least of all a country like Australia with such an open economy," she said.
Mr Abbott has previously asked business to make a case for any workplace change and today said the Coalition is working on a policy for the next election.
Right-wing lunatic "Lord" Monckton is back:
