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

Is it not more the case that the minister might seek to duchess a particular employer organisation and give that employer organisation more credence and credibility so that she can pick and choose the person or organisation that she perceives to be most compliant with the government’s overall agenda? Just for the record, I did not at any stage suggest that this legislation was in breach of ILO conventions. I, in fact, asked whether or not the ACTU and ACCI were recognised as the most representative bodies of employees and employers respectively for representation at the ILO. I think you will find the answer to that is yes. If the ILO can see it, and if Senator Xenophon, Senator Fielding, the Australian Greens, the ACTU, ACCI and the coalition can all see it, it just beggars belief why the Australian Labor Party cannot see it, other than for the one fact that they want to pick and choose, cherry-pick and duchess those that they want to do the government’s bidding.