Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have already had our little discussion and I do not want to go into that any further—nor with the parliamentary secretary who is about to take his place. But, over the years, the allocations have been extraordinary and, on the basis of performance based pay, some of them would have had to give their money back. I do not think the Prime Minister is quite as fond of the classics as some of our previous prime ministers, particularly Prime Minister Whitlam, who used to quote them somewhat more. But, if my recollection is correct, it was Sophocles who said:

To lay hands on victory is to hold a sweet possession. A reputation for justice can come later. For now, give yourself to shamelessness.

That is what we are seeing reflected in the collapse of ministerial standards. That is not what the Australian people expect from us as their representatives in a democracy. This bill, and the amendment to it, has facilitated an important discussion about ministerial standards. However, I want to emphasise a slightly different point while endorsing that discussion: the monumental double standard in the way our salaries are dealt with—in particular, the salaries of ministers, which we are dealing with today—compared to those of ordinary Australian workers in much less powerful positions who have to fend for themselves without the benefit of collective agreements or tribunals. It is a bill that needs to pass but, as the bill relates to industrial relations, the principles underpinning it should be applied to all Australian workers and not just to ministers in the government.

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