Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why does the Prime Minister say that the leadership of a bank is up to the board after it has broken the law 23 million times, while at the same time he wants to shut down entire unions for minor paperwork breaches? Why does the Prime Minister have one rule—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right. The member for Cooper will pause. The member for Goldstein. The member for North Sydney.

Honourable members interjecting—

Members on both sides. The Manager of Opposition Business. As passionate as members are, I still need to hear the question. The member for Cooper will begin her question again.

Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why does the Prime Minister say that the leadership of a bank is up to the board after it has broken the law 23 million times, while at the same time he wants to shut down entire unions for minor paperwork breaches? Why does the Prime Minister have one rule for banks and another for working people?

Mr Tim Wilson interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein is warned. The Prime Minister has the call.

Ms Butler interjecting—

The member for Griffith is warned.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The next time some union thug breaks someone's arm and they go to the emergency clinic, they'll say, 'It's just a paper cut, because it's a paperwork breach.' For goodness sake! The banks will be pursued by the full force of the law. They will be pursued by investigative agencies such AUSTRAC, who have been given the resources and the powers to get on with the job. They will have the Banking Executive Accountability Regime available to hunt those who are responsible under the law, because of the laws that we brought into this place that can see bank executives sent to prison for up to 15 years.

Those opposite, the Labor Party, are looking for any excuse to walk away from what they know is the right thing to do to ensure that militant unionism has no place in this country. Master Builders have made it pretty clear; there has been a 30 per cent increase in costs because of militant unionism in this country. It doesn't just break people's arms; it breaks their businesses and breaks the jobs that are so important. We're investing $100 billion in infrastructure in this country. We're expending more in rural communities on our better roads programs and our stimulus programs through local councils. We don't want to see that money jeopardised and wasted by the militant union activities, which are apparently championed by those opposite. They will not do the right thing. They will not apply to the union sector the same penalties as those in the corporate sector. They won't do it, because all of them are here courtesy of the unions.

Ms Kearney interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cooper is warned!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are beholden to the union movement and they are here to do their bidding, not the bidding of the Australian people.