Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

These are the people coming in. So there are 30 more coming in, are there? I have just had an admission that there are 30 more trade union people coming in after the next election. I did not think it was as many as that, but I thank you most sincerely, Senator Crossin, for indicating to the chamber that there are another 30 trade union people coming in. I am a bit gobsmacked about that.

We are seeing movement from a now irrelevant ACTU, with minimal coverage in the Australian workforce, into here. The Australian people are going to be left with a very clear choice in about eight months time as to whether they are prepared to trust the invasion of the ACTU into this place and the other place. I think they will vote with their feet. For those of you in the Labor Party who are not as manic or high profile as some of those coming in, I think you should be extremely nervous because, quite frankly, your chances of promotion—those of you who are still here—will be absolutely minimal. And when Doug Cameron takes over from this man, Senator George Campbell, do you think, as Senator Fierravanti-Wells said, he will come in here expecting to sit on the back bench for six years? I do not think so. You know as well as I do, through you, Mr President, that those trade union leaders will come in here and will be running the ALP within 12 months. I enjoy Senator Forshaw’s company, but he was almost apologising tonight for his trade union roots.