Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this evening because I am ashamed to be part of a parliament that may move us to a clayton’s position. We have had prior to Christmas this chest-thumping, supposedly victorious government suggesting to the people of Australia the clear understanding that, instead of working just four days a week, we were all going to be working five days a week. I accuse you of putting forward a clayton’s proposition, because we are not going to be working five days a week; we are going to be allowing your ministers to take an RDO. It is shameful. The suggestion that you put forward is absolutely shameful, if it does not prove to be illegal to boot.

I work seven days a week for my constituency—not five. The suggestion that I work less than five is an insult to all the people who have been in this House today and before. I work seven days a week, and if you put this proposition forward I will finish up working just five days a week, because I will not be able to get home to my electorate and back to Canberra in time for the next week’s sitting. You ought to be collectively ashamed of yourselves. If this is just a proposition put by people of straw, I am not surprised, because that is what it sounds like to me. You have put to this parliament a proposition that is deplorable. You ought to be collectively ashamed of yourselves. There is no question about the hardworking ethics of this opposition, let me tell you. In our place in a previous time, you may not have been committed to your electorates. You tell the people of Australia that you are and that you are going to work harder. Are you going to work harder, or are you putting up a clayton’s Friday—where the process of parliamentary democracy will not occur? There will be no MPI. There will be no quorum. There will be no divisions. There will be no executive present. What sort of institution do you want this democracy to be in the long term? I finish on a simple note: I work seven days a week; you ought to try the same thing. Come and have a wander around my electorate one day and see what work is all about. Be ashamed if you get this motion through. Reconsider. If you have got any brains, if you have got any collective intestinal fortitude, consider what you are going to put to the people of Australia via this parliament.

Question put:

That the amendments (Mr Hockey’s) be agreed to.

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