Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for his question. I note his long-running passion for road safety in his electorate and also his support for the small business sector in his community and his support for the heavy vehicle sector. What a great champion he has been for regional Australia in his role as the member for Page. I had the opportunity last week to be in Lismore and we met with representatives from the local transport sector. We met with drivers and vehicle suppliers, and they were all urging us to help protect them from the are RSRT and its rulings. Everyday Australians should not have to come to Canberra to fight for their jobs, but that is what we have seen in the last 48 hours. They have had to spend thousands of dollars of their own money to come to Canberra to fight to keep their own jobs—owner-drivers on the front lawns of Parliament House, fighting to keep their own jobs.

We on this side want to fight to keep their jobs as well. We want to come in here and vote to protect their jobs. It remains to be seen whether those opposite want to come in here and sack them. That is what we are going to find out in the next 24 hours. We on this side want to fight to protect their jobs and we are about to find out whether those on the other side want to sack them.

Every member of this place cares about road safety, but the RSRT has nothing to do with road safety. It discriminates against owner-drivers, who are the backbone of the heavy vehicle industry.

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