John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. It is getting quite rowdy, isn't it? So that is what this is all about: feed the union members; make the owner-drivers go broke; then they will go and get a job with a big company; they will be forced to join the Transport Workers Union and buy a ticket. And guess where the money from the ticket will go? It will go off to the Australian Labor Party to help with their state and federal campaigns. As I said, there was $100 million in 20 years from the union movement. Of course, it is not only the Labor Party; it feeds off to the Greens as well, Senate Rice. You get plenty from the CFMEU and that corrupt mob—a hundred of them on charges or in front of courts now from what they have done in bribery and blackmail in the building industry. So it is all: 'Let's look after the people who are siphoning the money off the hardworking Aussies and putting it in our pockets for our election campaigns.' That is what the Transport Workers Union is about. You've done your dash this time. And those owner-drivers who would have been members of the Transport Workers Union will be tearing their tickets up now. You will not suck them in again after you tried to cripple their livelihoods and have their rigs repossessed and reduce the value of their rigs and even have their houses taken off them if they went bankrupt. That is what you are about. It is not about safety. It is about filling your pockets for election campaigns. Well, you have been caught out.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

It is the second time you have got caught out tonight, Senator Conroy. You got caught out when I was in the chair on a motion. So, with great pleasure—