Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

What a load of bollocks we have just heard there! In question time today, Senator Bob Carr once again sought to deflect his responsibility as Minister for Foreign Affairs—firstly when he suggested that the question in relation to corruption and upholding those standards had nothing to do with his portfolio. That clearly demonstrates what page the minister is on. In my mind, actions speak much louder than words, and no amount of the rhetorical flourishes and theatrical histrionics that we get from this foreign minister day in and day out makes a dot of difference. It does not compensate for the disgraceful cover-up that we have seen in New South Wales, and I have to say that he has not assured us of his position in relation to the abuse and the awful shenanigans that have taken place in New South Wales and that he was very much part and parcel of. The union movement are part and parcel of it, and not only have they permeated the Labor government but we know they control its agenda. In relation to the scandal and corruption that have been revealed for a long time now in New South Wales, where Labor politicians have paid and continue to pay homage to the likes of Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald—individuals that are and have been closely associated with the former Premier of New South Wales, now the foreign minister, Senator Carr—the senator's denials just do not stack up. My advice to the senator is simple, and that is that no-one believes you.

I hate to say, though, that the incidence of behind-the-scenes corruption in New South Wales is endemic and is linked to a wider pervasive corrupt situation across the union movement across the nation. Indeed, there are a plethora of Labor politicians here in Canberra that are here by virtue of the patronage of the union movement. In my home state of Victoria—in my patron seat of Deakin, I have to say—we have another example of this invidious patronage and the activities that they have covered up with their involvement in the union movement. The case in point is Mike Symon, the member for Deakin. When he was the Labor candidate for Deakin back in 2007, Mike Symon was a field officer for an organisation called Protect, which was described as an ETU scam which ripped off employers and channelled money into secret union trust funds.