Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition opposes the motion before the Senate. This is the beginning of Labor and the Greens taking control of the Senate and ensuring that the sort of accountability that used to exist in this place is shut down. It is no coincidence that the Labor Party sees this as a matter of urgency today when questions are being asked about the delay in Fair Work Australia conducting an inquiry into the Health Services Union. What does the Labor Party do? They come into this place to move a motion that the top person of Fair Work Australia no longer be required to attend before Senate estimates committees.

Why the rush with this, when the next set of estimates is not until October of this year? It is perfectly clear as to why Labor are moving this. They want to ensure that in relation to this accountability at least one person, the top person of Fair Work Australia, cannot be questioned in relation to the Health Services Union inquiry.

But of course there are other matters that I must inform the Senate about as to why the Senate should not support this motion. Senator Marshall spent a lot of time quoting the committee report. What he did not tell us was that he was in fact the author of that committee report. It is pretty poor form quoting yourself as some sort of authority in relation to this.