Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I am sure that those on the other side do get it. We have been in government for six months, and the previous government was in for six years. Back then Anthony Albanese, who still serves on the front bench in opposition, was a Labor minister in 2008 and said:

The new Rudd Labor government will drive an active strategy to further liberalise the aviation sector, seeking cooperation with like-minded partners.

That means reform is imminent. Level playing fields—which you heard for the last few weeks. I spoke to the now Treasurer, Mr Hockey, in April of last year about the problems facing Qantas. Everybody has been aware of it; you did nothing about it, and look what we have. We have this problem which you can fix. The legislation has come in and you need to vote it through to free up the management and stop vilifying them. You need to free up the management so that they can get on with the business of running an internationally competitive airline.

I want to now take you to what I believe is the fundamental problem in this argument. Back in October 2011, in the months before the grounding of that airline, an emergency Fair Work Australia hearing heard from the Federal Secretary of the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association, Mr Steve Purvinas. He was overheard, and introduced to that hearing were the words about Qantas: 'I want to bake them slowly.' More menacingly, he promised to sort out Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce and mused: 'If you live near a river, take a seat, and eventually the dead bodies of your enemies will come floating by.'

Congratulations—here we are with the union movement! I am sure the TWU will have something to say to you, or they are probably already ringing your offices and telling you how you should behave on this matter. You should be looking at how you govern your union movement before you try to tell private enterprise how to run their businesses. Qantas has argued and is appealing to you over there to pass this legislation, and I urge all of you to take its advice. (Time expired)