Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

We have had laid bare before the Senate today the ideological agenda of the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party have just laid bare their hatred for workers acting collectively to get better wages and better conditions. Senator Brandis opened his little effort by saying that nothing changes. Well, nothing changes in the Liberal Party—because the Liberal Party really do want to return to Work Choices. Senator Abetz sighs, but Senator Abetz was a Work Choices warrior and he still is a Work Choices warrior.

We have to look at the ABCC in the context of what is happening in the industry. We heard a tirade from Senator Brandis, but let me tell you what the Australian Industry Group said to the inquiry of the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee. The AiG want the ABCC to be reinstated because it gives them more power, gives their members more control, diminishes wages, diminishes conditions and stops workers organising effectively to look after their families and their communities. Senator Brandis ranted about lawlessness throughout the industry, but the AiG said 'there are incidents of isolated personal impropriety.' Every organisation has at some stage faced isolated personal impropriety, including the Liberal and National parties. Every organisation, every business, from time to time faces isolated personal impropriety. But do you then set up an ABCC or call a royal commission designed to deny people the rights that apply around the world to workers to act collectively and look after their families? No you do not. There is an inflated position being put by the Liberal Party that there is this issue of general malfeasance in the industry, and it is not true.

The AiG, when they are pursued on this in the inquiry that is so important, say that people who represent employer organisations and unions at the decision-making level—the board level of organisations; the executive level of unions—are overwhelmingly dedicated and ethical people. If you listened to Senator Brandis, you would think that everyone in the industry was a crook. It is not true. This is about a political attack, an ideological attack, on the union movement. They try and present a union like the CFMEU, that is out there trying to protect its members' interests in a tough industry, as overwhelmingly crooked. It is not true. It is just not true.

The biggest laugh I got out of Senator Brandis's little argument was: 'The coalition is the best friend workers ever had'! Tell that to Dr Sharman Stone. Tell that to the National Party. Tell the workers at SPC that the coalition is their best friend. Tell that to the workers at Holden, at Ford, at Toyota—that the coalition is their best friend. They know that the coalition has walked away from protecting jobs and protecting communities in this country because of some macroeconomic ideological position— (Time expired)