Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think that all Australians know that the greatest impediments are those sitting opposite and Mr Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition. They have a choice to make: do they back the CFMEU or do they stand for jobs? Do they back the thugs or do they back workers? That is the question that those opposite have to make up their mind about. If Mr Shorten is serious, he will stand up to the CFMEU and make sure that this deal is done. As said by the NFF, this is a $300 million a year impediment to the agriculture sector if it does not go through. The coal industry loses $4.6 million per week, and there will be $4 billion lost to the Australian financial services sector alone by 2030, at a cost of 10,000 jobs. So it is about time Mr Shorten stopped pandering to the xenophobic attitude of the CFMEU and supported Australian jobs. (Time expired)