Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Tourism and International Education) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Rice demonstrates the dangers of not listening to the previous answer and having a preprepared second question, because the changes being made by Alcoa have nothing to do with the coastal shipping legislation that was voted down last week—quite shamefully voted down last week, I might say. It had nothing to do with it. It is under legislation that you passed, with the Labor Party, in the previous parliament; so it is your legacy, Senator Rice. Mr President, this is Senator Rice's legacy, not this government's legacy. The Labor Party got the Greens to vote with them to pass coastal shipping legislation which has contributed to less ships, less employment in the shipping sector and less freight being carried on the coast. In fact, it is cheaper to bring product from overseas than it is to bring it around the Australian coastline. So the Labor Party and the Greens are locking Australian business out of Australian manufacturing. (Time expired)