Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At midday today I went down to see the workers who have been sacked from the MV Portlandworkers who have manned that ship that moves alumina between Bunbury and Portland, and have been doing so for the last 28 years. These are solid Australian workers, skilled Australian workers, who are doing an Australian job. We were there to stand with them in solidarity and to show our deep concern about the wilful way in which this government is dismantling the blue collar workforce within Australia, and the cavalier decisions they are making time and time again to do away with those jobs.

It was quite ironic that, immediately prior to going down to join with that sacked workforce, we had a series of briefings on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. One of the messages that came through loud and clear is the complete asymmetry in the labour market mobility provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This means Australia is prepared to give away far more in terms of, in particular, blue collar technical jobs, trade jobs. We are giving those jobs away without getting in return the right to go into those markets that are part of this agreement. The United States has refused to participate— (Time expired)