The paper begins with a schematic survey of the historical background, which provides the context for the changes embodied in WorkChoices, briefly described in Section 2. The core of the paper, Section 3, examines the role of choice and constraint in the design of the reforms. This analysis is used to inform an assessment of the likely implications of reform for wages and conditions, and likely effects on inequality. A similar analysis is applied to assess effects on growth, productivity, employment and unemployment. Finally, we consider possible future directions for alternative reform strategies