Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

For the purposes of the International Labour Organisation, the ACTU is deemed to be a representative and the representative body of the business organisations, and I understand that the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has a permanent representative there representing the business sector. Could the minister confirm those two matters. The other aspect of what he said in response, I think, to Senator Xenophon was not exactly rigorous and robust because, whilst it may be that you should not have the ACTU or ACCI with a complete say as to who ought to be appointed, I would have thought a nomination by the ACTU and ACCI of a person acceptable to the minister would be an appropriate course of action. For example, if the ACTU were to throw up Kevin Reynolds or Joe McDonald or Craig Johnston or somebody like that, chances are you would get a unity ticket in this place and the minister should exercise her discretion against such an appointment. But to basically allow the minister the power to cherry-pick whom she likes for whatever purposes she may have we believe is unacceptable.