Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, Senator Adams. You would know, but not many of your colleagues would know. Maybe you should help them out. The speed of the road trains is 100 kilometres an hour, which, for a fully-laden road train at 48 tonne, is not a huge speed because these drivers are professionals. They are experts in what they do. The equipment normally is absolutely schmick, it is up to speed, it is top notch. I would encourage anyone to travel Highway 1 on a Friday night when the road trains are heading out, when mirrors are passing each other at 100 kilometres an hour, with no more than 12 inches between those mirrors. If anyone thinks that is an exaggeration, get off your backsides, get out there, pull up any truckie and ask if you can jump in his rig and go for a ride on a Friday night. In 11½ long years, did they do anything about Highway 1? Did they do anything to improve the width of the road, the camber of the road, the potholes or put in extra truck bays? Did they, Madam Acting Deputy President? I will make it easier for you. They did nothing.

To listen to Senator Macdonald in this chamber lecture Senator Hutchins and me—two ex-transport workers, truckies, the whole lot—about how all of a sudden he has become an expert in road transport because he went on a lovely trip from Queensland to Laverton—and I have been to Laverton more times than I care to remember—on the Outback Highway, and all of a sudden he is an expert, is rather embarrassing.

In just 18 months, Labor has got COAG agreement to a single national jurisdiction for heavy vehicles. Hallelujah! In 1988, when I was a subcontractor for Ansett Ridgways, which was a division of TNT—a truly fantastic transport icon in our history which, sadly, is no longer around, and we know the reasons why Ansett is no longer around—so that this building could be opened on time for the Queen’s visit, the company I worked for went to the then powers that be to seek dispensation so that we could drag a road train across the Nullarbor, so that all these seats and tables here could be fitted for the opening of parliament, so that the Senate and the House of Representatives could work. That was in 1987. That was probably about 1997 or 1998, some 11 or 12 years later, before road trains were able to operate on the Nullarbor. That was the biggest step that ever happened. So for the 11½ years of the Howard regime diddly-squat! And listen to the rubbish coming from that side of the chamber. It is nothing short of sickening.

It is good to see that, under the new dangerous goods reform package, which has been endorsed by the minister and the Australian Transport Council, the act has no further purpose, which we know. This is probably the only thing on which I agree with Senator Macdonald. It is a barrier to the ACT being able to implement the new model dangerous goods transport legislation. Further, the Road Transport Reform (Dangerous Goods) Repeal Bill 2009 meets the Australian government’s obligation under the Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Road, Rail and Intermodal Transport to repeal any road transport legislation enacted by the Commonwealth on behalf of the ACT once that legislation is no longer necessary.

Repealing the Road Transport Reform (Dangerous Goods) Act 1995 will allow the Australian Capital Territory government to implement the new model legislation within its own legislative framework in the same manner as the other states and territories. This is another very good example of ending the blame game and of working together. The repeal will be effective with the implementation by the ACT government of the new dangerous goods provisions. Once again, this is a very good example of governments, state and federal, working together for the benefit of not only the states but also the country. It is governments working together for the benefit of the employers and the employees and the productivity of this great nation. It ends the blame game so that we can work together to deliver what is needed to take this great country forward.

This legislation is an integral part of the process of implementing the new dangerous goods reform package and, as I said quite proudly, it was agreed to by the Australian Transport Council. It is very pleasing to see this sort of agreement going through the Australian Transport Council. When we were trying to negotiate in Western Australia for fatigue management, it was an absolute dog’s breakfast. Every state had a different regime. You could leave Western Australia thinking you were legal in driving X-number of hours per day to get to the South Australian border, only to find out that not only were you over the number of hours for the day but that, within a day or two, you would be over your week’s quota. This is one step, but there is a lot more work to be done.

We have talked about safe sustainable rates. That is another bogie for those on that side of the chamber; they do not like it. When it was introduced by the Western Australian transport minister, Alannah McTiernan back in 2001 or 20002, our biggest hiccup, the bogie, the fly in the ointment, was none other than the federal minister for transport, Mr John Anderson. I will say no more. The coalition could not talk about safe rates for truck drivers or owner-drivers back then. They will not be able to talk about them now. I am happy for them to sit there and talk about how wonderful they are and how they want to see small businesses grow. You lot over there—through you, Madam Acting  Deputy President—truck drivers are small businesses. This comes as a bit of shock to you, but unfortunately they are. That is why we on the Labor side represent them. We have their best interests at heart; you do not. (Time expired)