Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, you want to shut them up because they are losing it. The AMWU has given $5.2 million to the Labor Party; the AMIEU, $634,000; and the LHMU, $5.9 million. In the last 10 years, $12 million—nearly one quarter of all union contributions—has been given to the Labor Party. So, surprise, surprise that we see the opposition going into bat with implausible, baseless arguments, even resorting to xenophobia, to support their case. The grubby reason for opposition members doing the bidding of their union masters is the unions’ quest to regain some relevance and to increase their membership. That has been the pattern of activity since May or April last year, when the workplace relations bills were introduced. It is politics plain and simple. The Labor members know they have no case, but they persist because their union masters have demanded it.

Let us look at why the regional apprenticeship visa was introduced and at the important role it can play. This is lost on the opposition. We have a strong economy. We have had one now for a long time. The government takes full blame for having a strong economy. One of the consequences of high, continuing economic growth is very low unemployment. With unemployment at 30-year lows, you find skills shortages.

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