Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is who you represent. You have wiped your hands of the blue-collar workers, the people that have stuck with you for years and years. They are going to realise it very soon. Eighteen hundred jobs went from Pacific Brands. I ask the Senate: how many more jobs are going to go when there is an emissions charge on every sewing machine? Every electric motor in every factory will attract a charge. Do you think that is going to make Australian industry more competitive? Do you think that is going to give the blue-collar workers a job? I can tell you it will not—and the unions know it. The Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Mr Combet, is going to be like a one-armed paper hanger in a high breeze, because the union movement is going to go to him and tell him what you guys are doing to them and the blue-collar worker.

I hope the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, has the decency to pick up the phone and ring Golden Circle, the biggest employer in Brisbane, employing around 1,800 workers in his electorate. Last year they had to reduce the intake of pineapples from Queensland growers because they were under attack from imported product—imported pineapples, imported home brands. How much less competitive is this ETS going to make them when they have to pay an emissions charge on all their outgoings, all their plant, all their equipment? It is going to be a huge charge that none of their overseas competitors will have to pay.

This is giving a free kick to overseas manufacturers. It is hard enough to make a quid manufacturing in Australia, with the high costs. Why put another eight pounds of lead in their saddle? What are you guys doing? Don’t you understand? How can you sit there and let this happen to Australia? How can you sit there and let this happen to your blue-collar workers? You’ve deserted them; you’ve ratted on them; you’ve—