Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I second the amendment. I will explain to the House what this amendment does. It says that the bill will be brought back next year to enable time for the consultation that the government had previously guaranteed. The government had said there would be consultation. They've then come in here with a bill without that consultation. That is simply because we have a government that is more determined to get rid of union members than they are to have an Australian industry. If it is a choice between a unionised Australian industry and no industry at all, they would rather have no Australian shipping industry at all. That is the choice they are making. They said there would be consultation. This amendment does one thing and one thing only: it guarantees time for that consultation. If they don't want to have the consultation, they will vote against the amendment.

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