Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Rhiannon and Senator Moore wish to congratulate waterside workers for taking a stand for peace by refusing to load pig iron destined for Japan in 1938. But why stop at 1938? Let us remember the supposed stand for peace that waterside workers took between 1939 and 1945 when Australia was at war and fighting for its very survival. As historian Hal GP Colebatch recently reminded us, during the course of the war virtually every major Australian warship, including at different times Australia's entire force of cruisers, was targeted by strikes, go-slows or sabotage. While Australian troops and their allies were fighting and dying to keep the Japanese army at bay throughout the Pacific, in Papua and in South-East Asia, waterside workers refused to load arms, ammunition, food and supplies, and they looted stores and destroyed equipment. I think it may well be appropriate that this not be— (Time expired)