The former treasurer attacked the Opposition Leader's pledge not to reintroduce statutory individual workplace agreements, a position that has disappointed both business leaders and Howard government stalwarts such as Mr Costello and Peter Reith.
In an opinion piece published in Fairfax newspapers today, Mr Costello suggests that the cause of maintaining "protection and regulation" be left to the DLP's sole senator, John Madigan.
Mr Costello says the DLP, a largely Catholic offshoot of the ALP founded in the 1950s, "believes in collective rights like the rights of unions and trade associations and in statutory marketing organisations where individuals are bound by collective decisions.
"Liberals believe that our economy can be more productive and create more jobs with higher wages if we promote freedom and flexibility all round," he writes.
"Let Senator Madigan run the case for protection and regulation. That is not the future for the Coalition. Its leaders are there to promote and implement Liberal policies like freedom in the workplace, open trade, lower tax and careful spending of taxpayers' money."
Mr Costello writes that any Abbott Coalition government will face a precarious economic position.
"We know the incoming government will inherit a bad debt and fiscal position - much worse than that inherited by Labor," Mr Costello writes.
"The Coalition will need a range of policy options to address Australia's falling productivity. Playing a game over what is in and what is out is to limit the capacity of a future government to deal with problems.
Mr Costello suggests Mr Abbott has little to lose politically from maintaining an open door to industrial reform, warning he will face a Labor fear campaign on the issue regardless. Mr Costello says that while the DLP was "good on defence and the Cold War", it was "not much on economic issues".
In an opinion piece published in Fairfax newspapers today, Mr Costello suggests that the cause of maintaining "protection and regulation" be left to the DLP's sole senator, John Madigan.
Mr Costello says the DLP, a largely Catholic offshoot of the ALP founded in the 1950s, "believes in collective rights like the rights of unions and trade associations and in statutory marketing organisations where individuals are bound by collective decisions.
"Let Senator Madigan run the case for protection and regulation. That is not the future for the Coalition. Its leaders are there to promote and implement Liberal policies like freedom in the workplace, open trade, lower tax and careful spending of taxpayers' money."
Mr Costello writes that any Abbott Coalition government will face a precarious economic position.
"We know the incoming government will inherit a bad debt and fiscal position - much worse than that inherited by Labor," Mr Costello writes.
"The Coalition will need a range of policy options to address Australia's falling productivity. Playing a game over what is in and what is out is to limit the capacity of a future government to deal with problems.
Mr Costello suggests Mr Abbott has little to lose politically from maintaining an open door to industrial reform, warning he will face a Labor fear campaign on the issue regardless. Mr Costello says that while the DLP was "good on defence and the Cold War", it was "not much on economic issues".
No comments:
Post a Comment