Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Hansard source

In March 2009—and I am sorry the member for Wentworth has not followed my career as closely as he ought to have—I was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services. So, of course, as parliamentary secretary for disabilities I still wrote to Telstra, because people had come to me and said there were concerns and, as a conscientious member of parliament, you still raise issues. But, if the member for Wentworth is saying that as parliamentary secretary for disabilities somehow I am not doing my job there, let us have a look at the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which the leader opposite is so keen to hug.

When we talk about asbestos, since I have become the minister we have implemented the Asbestos Management Review and we have put in place a national agency. When the matters in Penrith came to light, I went up on the weekend to go and see the residents and to hear from them. I would be interested to see how the member for Wentworth went with the residents of Penrith when he met with them, if he has actually done that, seeing that he is very keen to give advice. But, furthermore, I convened a meeting with Telstra. I am having a look at my correspondence, Member for Wentworth, on all the occasions on which you have raised with me the issues of asbestos and Telstra. What I might suggest here is that what really matters is the safety of Australians. What really matters is dealing with exposure to asbestos. What really matters is not taking some sort of petty political right-wing points—

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