Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

There are lessons to be learned in this place all the time. Sometimes you actually do not need to try and take your full 20 minutes, particularly when your written speeches run out. The coalition has introduced a private member's bill to improve the accountability and transparency of organisations registered under the Fair Work Act 2009, trade unions and employer groups. The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Towards Transparency) Bill 2012 will, if passed, improve protection for the hundreds and thousands of members who belong to these organisations by strengthening the financial disclosure rules, enshrining higher duties for officers and increasing penalties to provide a genuine deterrent against the misuse of position and power.

One asks the obvious question: in light of what we have seen over the last 12 to 18 months, why wouldn't the Australian Labor Party support a bill that would strengthen financial disclosure rules, enshrine higher duties for officers and increase penalties to provide a genuine deterrent against the misuse of position and power? What possibly could motivate those opposite to not support it?

I think I might have found the answer. I was having a look through the list of ALP senators this morning. Numbers have been union officials and political staffers but not union officials. They have heads on them like mice. Indeed, I think you, Madam Acting Deputy President Stephens, might be the only one who has not been in those categories. What a remarkable coincidence, Madam Acting Deputy President. I will go through it to get it on the record. How many Labor senators have been union officials—24?