Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

I think it is noteworthy that, when we were conducting, in the labour movement, the campaign to achieve justice for asbestos victims of James Hardie, I received, as leader of the trade union movement, a lot of support from Labor governments. I did not have one call or one iota of assistance from the Howard government or its then health minister, Tony Abbott—not one iota of assistance. We know where we are on this position. The only thing that the Leader of the Opposition has contributed to this, that is of memory to anyone, is an insult to Bernie Banton. A kick in the guts to a dying man it was. A kick in the guts to a dying man—that is your contribution to this issue. This government has a very proud record of standing up, cleaning up asbestos and fighting on behalf of victims, and we will not be lectured to by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition about ethics and morality, or you, hiding behind her.

Honourable members interjecting—

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