Former Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey says the new Rudd Labor Government has a clear mandate from the voters to 'tear up' the WorkChoices laws; and he denied that his close links to the WorkChoices laws have ruined his chances of a leadership position in the Liberal Party.

Labor has mandate to tear up WorkChoices: Hockey

Former Workplace Relations Minister, Joe Hockey says the new Rudd Labor Government has a clear mandate from the voters to 'tear up' the WorkChoices laws.

Hockey was speaking, as the Liberal Party split over whether to let the new IR laws, ending AWAs and radically changing WorkChoices, through the Senate - where the Coalition will have the numbers until next July.

'The Labor Party has a mandate to tear up WorkChoices,' Hockey said.

Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard say Labor has a mandate from the voters for its IR legislation, and is not prepared to negotiate any changes in the Senate.

Disputed

This was disputed yesterday by former Minister, George Brandis, while another former Minister, Christopher Pyne said the Liberal Party should abandon WorkChoices and not cling to the past.

Liberal Senate leader, Nick Minchin said today that when it was in power, the Howard Government also claimed a mandate for taxation changes, the sale of Telstra, and changes to unfair dismissal laws.

'We took all those things to elections and had what are described as mandates which meant nothing to the Labor party in the Senate, which voted for 11 years against all those things, so let's not hear that sort of hypocrisy from the Labor party.' he said.

Tasmanian Liberal Senator, Eric Abetz says the Party should examine the details of Labor's industrial relations policy before deciding whether to block it.

'We will see what it actually says,' he said. 'And whilst Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard have been saying our plan is clear, our plan is clear, it is quite clear that they were saying one thing to business and industry, and another thing to the trade union movement.'

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'WorkChoices didn't kill my leadership chance': Hockey

Hockey has also denied that his close links to the WorkChoices laws have ruined his chances of a leadership position in the Liberal Party.

Hockey was regarded as one of the better performers on the Liberal frontbench and having done a reasonable job in a difficult portfolio.

He was seen as a potential candidate for a leadership role, but has decided not to nominate following the defeat of Prime Minister, John Howard and the shock resignation of Deputy Leader, Peter Costello.

Hockey yesterday announced he would not be a contender, leaving the leadership to be fought out among Malcolm Turnbull, Brendan Nelson and Tony Abbott. He is not even a nomination for deputy, for which Christopher Pyne, Julie Bishop and Andrew Robb are in battle.

Public anger

Hockey said his decision not to stand for the Liberal leadership has nothing to do with public anger over WorkChoices. He said that while the laws were a factor in the Coalition's loss, he has other reasons for deciding not to run as leader.

'I've been a minister for eight years, which is longer than some of the contenders combined, and I've got a very young family - two under two-and-a-half and a working wife in a very senior job,' Hockey said. 'I thought that I had to give something back to my family for a while without being asked to give up my career.'

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