Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Minister for Workforce Participation) Share this | Hansard source

Well, I thought it was amusing that the member for Batman talked about hearing of the Senate vote while he drove home in his car. While the rest of us were here in the House working hard, he was in his car driving home, listening to what was happening in parliament on the radio. How extraordinary! I thought to myself, ‘That was a funny admission.’ The rest of us were here, of course.

This is a very serious piece of legislation and it did in fact present an opportunity for the opposition to talk about their own states, where currently a Labor government is in place, which are not necessarily moving in the right direction concerning removing the rights of workers to claim for injuries sustained in travelling from home to work. I have to admit that the member for Bruce did begin by saying this is an important piece of legislation. It is, and we as a government—the most extraordinarily reforming government since the era of Menzies era—are determined that workers in Australia will be the best served in terms of compensation and rehabilitation. These amendments are significant. I commend the amendments and ask for their agreement in this House.

Question agreed to.

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