Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, I can confirm to Senator Ferris and the Senate that I am aware of these most concerning comments made this morning—comments that condone the use of workplace sabotage as a method of protest. Let me quote from news.com.au online today:

I worked for a long time in this country in the ‘50s and ‘60s and there was a lot of sabotage that went on in the workplace ... What concerns me is the sort of relationship that’s now been established in the workplace is going to encourage that sabotage to take place again. I don’t mean in a serious sense, but little things, like a screw being left out ... I don’t advocate it, I just accept reality.

‘I don’t advocate it; I just accept reality,’ said Senator George Campbell today. No amount of weasel words from those opposite can change the clear import of those words. With a wink wink, nudge nudge, Senator George Campbell is accepting workplace sabotage. Need I point out to honourable senators opposite the serious consequences of such action? We are talking about action that potentially puts somebody’s life at risk by deliberately leaving a screw out of an item, and those opposite think it is a matter of hilarity. Mr President, you have really got to ask and wonder where the screw has been left out—and I think we know where it has been.

Free speech and the right to protest against laws you do not agree with is a fundamental right in this country. We support it, and we hold it dear. Yes, we do understand that there are some in the community opposed to Work Choices but, unlike Senator George Campbell, the government do not condone potentially deadly lawlessness as a method of protest. We on this side remember too well the violent demonstration in 1996 against our so-called policy before we had even introduced our first budget, Labor and the unions were there demonstrating against our budget, causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage all in the name, as Senator Ferris would recall, of allegedly protecting the battlers. The history is that, since that demonstration 10 years ago, those battlers have continued to support the Howard government, because they know who the true friend of the battler is. The true friend of the battler is not somebody who will deliberately leave a screw out of a product with potentially lethal consequences for one of his or her fellow citizens. This foolhardy intervention by Senator George Campbell in this current debate does provide Mr Beazley with yet another opportunity to show some leadership by repudiating the comments of Senator George Campbell and by repudiating industrial sabotage. We will wait to see Mr Beazley’s response.