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

I thank the member for Dawson for his question. He is right, I believe, to raise this concern and I appreciate his raising it. Despite what I have said about some of the issues being raised about the politics of just trying to use asbestos to attack the NBN, I for one am not satisfied to hear what you have just said in terms of the safety of people. I will ask my Comcare regulator to give me a report.

One thing I know is that it is possible to take and handle asbestos safely. I do not support the proposition advanced by the Leader of the Opposition that we just leave asbestos there for time immemorial—all asbestos. I believe that we do have to have a prioritised removal process. This is probably a point of difference, one I hope that it is not between the opposition and the government—

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