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

In relation to the person that I hope will be the successful candidate for Goulburn, I do note that what she said—and listen to this very carefully—was that those people who did not want to engage with her, those who were quite short and abrupt at the door, raised the issue of Work Choices. So you would imagine that there is a cohort in the electorate that would be against Work Choices—and we do not deny that—and they are vehement about that. Just as much, if the Labor candidate were honest, he would say that he got short shrift at certain doors from people who said: ‘The trade union domination of the Labor Party is such that we cannot vote for your party.’ I am sure it happens on both sides of the equation. The only difference is that Pru Goward was honest enough to tell us what happened at the doors, whereas the defeated Labor candidate remains strangely silent. (Time expired)