Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Earlier today, Labor implied that we, on this side, are not here to support Senator Cash. Let me outline some of the ways that inspire me to see the work and effectiveness of Senator Cash: firstly, with the road transport remuneration tribunal, saving so many truck businesses in my electorate and so many families from losing their income; secondly, while visiting Gilmore to help the PaTH program awareness level, talking with and inspiring some of my mentors and jobseekers to make a difference in their life; thirdly, talking in detail about the difficulties faced by the job service providers, and how we can make it better; then facing off to the unions, who have, in my region, bumped my local contractors off local construction jobs. I find Senator Cash to be one of the most effective ministers I have worked with.

We see the Labor Party, in a blazing rage, calling the government to account over issues of supposed public interest and parliamentary process—in this place it's rare for me to point out the obvious, but really?—turning the debate into a commentary of vitriolic criticism. During the 43rd Parliament—which, as everyone knows, was one of tight numbers, an almost-hung parliament—there was a member of the Labor Party who occupied his seat for almost 18 months, guilty of wrongdoing, as later determined by the courts, but doggedly remaining as an elected MP. Shame, Labor, shame! Those on the opposition benches are very forgetful. That MP, while serving as member for Dobell, was investigated by the Fair Work Commission for nearly four years over allegations that he used his Health Services Union credit card for improper purposes. Where was the accountability back then? He shouldn't have remained in the parliament at all, looking at his biography. It appears that he was born in New Zealand, and we all know what happens to members in this House under such circumstances. But did the Labor Party make itself accountable to parliament? No, it did not.

That brings me to another situation where Labor has failed to be accountable to the Australian people. Last year, there was a definitive court ruling for members of parliament—incidentally, all coalition members—and their citizenship. Yet Labor allowed three of their party to remain in parliament, assuring Australians that Labor had a rolled-gold vetting process and everyone on their side was clear. Following the further court investigation of a Labor senator, we're now faced with three by-elections that could and should have taken place last year.

Labor rants that the Turnbull government has failed our country. Is it a failure to have a strong economy that creates over a million jobs? Is it a failure to have regional investment that would develop over a thousand jobs in Gilmore alone—millions of jobs nationally; thousands of jobs locally?

Australia is one of the best countries in the world in which to live, work and raise a family. We all know that. However, we face global uncertainty and cannot take our prosperity and security for granted.

At this point, I'd like to remind Labor that they say they look after the low-income workers, but, in reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. Who negotiated the enterprise agreements for low-paid workers at Woolies, Subway, Kmart, Target and a range of other major international companies—as to which, by the way, Labor didn't want to support changing the taxation laws? Why, the unions, of course! And many of these people have hourly rates that are less than the changes proposed by the Fair Work Commission in the next rounds of changes. Labor are not looking after the low-paid workers. But do we ever have that information put forward for the workers? No. Labor say they are protecting the workers. Well, they're not. It's an absolute lack of accountability to the Australian people, especially these union workers.

We on the government benches are determined to make life opportunities and prospects better for every Australian. We know that we are accountable at all times and look after all of our people at all times.

As to the whole issue of putting this investigation on the table and saying it's a problem: what are they hiding? That money was taken from union members. It was hard-earned union members' money. And let me tell you: it's not a couple of bucks a week; it is a significant amount of money. It should be in their pockets. And if not, it should be used for their purposes if they get into strife. I have hundreds of union members coming to my office and saying, 'I've rung the union; they won't help me.' So what the hell are they paying their dues for? Seriously, it is, yes, numbers—conflated statistics presented by Labor. Australia won't be conned anymore by the inflated lies that are being presented right now by the Labor Party. And they should absolutely know better.

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