Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Is it the scalp that sits on the belt of the member for Franklin? No. Was it only last week that I went down to Franklin and campaigned for Vanessa Goodwin and there were all these endorsements from the Leader of the Opposition of his candidate in Franklin? And yet yesterday we saw a report in the Mercury under the headline ‘Jettison Harkins push’. It said:

… despite offers of an elevated union position, increased salary and a future Senate seat, Mr Harkins is determined not to quit voluntarily.

This was yesterday. So what happened in the last 24 hours? These are the questions that the Leader of the Opposition has to answer. He has lost his candidate in Franklin and he has not explained to anyone why. Why has he lost his candidate in Franklin? That was a candidate that he has supported on numerous occasions. That was a candidate endorsed by the Labor Party. And yet, as soon as a report comes out of possible inducements, even perhaps bribery, in relation to the candidate in Franklin—that he has been bought off, that he might end up at a later time in the Senate as a representative for Tasmania from the Labor Party—all of a sudden Harkins resigns.

There was no explanation from Sean Kelly, the President of the Labor Party in Tasmania, and no explanation from the Leader of the Opposition. Do you know why, Mr Speaker? Because the Leader of the Opposition is totally in the control of the union bosses—that is why. The Leader of the Opposition is not prepared to stand up for the people of Australia because he is being dictated to by union bosses, union thugs, and people that preach one message and do not adhere to it when it applies to them. The Leader of the Opposition has to answer some questions. These are serious allegations involving, perhaps, breaches of the Electoral Act. He cannot laugh it away. He cannot continue to be controlled by the union bosses and expect the people of Australia to back him.

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