Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Just listening to Senator Cameron's performance I could not help but reflect on Shakespeare, not that his performance had anything to do with Shakespeare. But I am reminded of that Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Those of us who are fans of Shakespeare will know that the comedy Much Ado About Nothing has a central theme that a great fuss is made of something which is insignificant. Except that is only partially true because what we have here are the agents of the Australian union movement in this parliament trying to create a smokescreen from the very revealing evidence of the interim findings that have been made by that royal commission.

Senator Cameron is trying to suggest that the royal commission is a tool for the Liberal Party. Far from being a tool for the Liberal Party, it is in fact, we would hope, a tool so that the ordinary, honest, hardworking workers of this country who happen to be members of the union movement can get a proper, accurate, clear insight to what it is that is actually happening inside their union movement.

I just want to reflect briefly on what the royal commission has identified so far. What is it that Labor is trying to hide from? What is it that the agents of the Australian union movement in this place on that side are trying to hide from? Would it be evidence—