Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to oppose the Marine Engineers Qualification Bill 2013. I must say that this is one of the more bizarre contributions I have heard from Senator Williams, and I have heard some bizarre contributions from Senator Williams in my time in the Senate. Here we have—and I say this with great affection, Senator Williams—a cow cocky from Inverell pontificating about maritime safety. I do not think Senator Williams saw the sea or a boat until he was about 24 years old, but now he is an expert on maritime safety.

On one hand he is arguing that this is about union power and union interference, and on the other hand he is arguing the speaking-note points from the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers. What is going on? There is a whale in the bay, somewhere, Senator Williams, and I am sure we will find it.

I am not sure if they have opened a port in Inverell! Maybe this is one of the National Party's great ideas: 'We're going to open up the north.' Maybe they are going to build a canal from Sydney Harbour up to Inverell, and Senator Williams will be the expert on marine safety! Give us a break!

This is even more bizarre. Here we have the so-called coalition, who talk about getting rid of union influence and union power, standing here running the speaking notes for the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers. I have no problem with that. That is fine, but do not be a hypocrite. Do not bring hypocrisy into this.

I really do not know why you have introduced this bill, to be honest. There is already a bill in the lower house, still to be discussed. We are still to see the details, and yet here we have a bill being introduced by the cow cocky from Inverell on behalf of the maritime industry in Australia. What is going on? There is a whale in the bay here; there is no risk about that, Senator Williams. We will find out what it is about. We will search out what this is about.

But let's go to the serious points on this. I would be one of the few senators in this place who have 'served their time', in the old colloquialism. I served my time as a fitter and engineer in Scotland. And I was a time-served tradesperson.