Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

And I was confused, Senator Furner, not because I do not understand the bill but because I could not relate what was being said to the bill that we are discussing. But those union people have worked hard not just over the past year but for decades—15 years or so. The first Senate inquiry went back to 1996, I think, and there may well have been some earlier. Senator Collins participated in that. Those opposite were in government for 11½ years and they did nothing. They just want to move back to Work Choices. We know that is what it is all about. Your problem is that you know that the people of Australia know that is what you want to do, so you come in here and run fatuous arguments and disingenuous com­ments about unions, union officials and those everyday working people who are members of those unions. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You need to get your policies together. You need to get them funded, and tell the people— (Time expired)