Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Exactly, Senator Wong. 'Bring it on!', we say. The Labor Party is ready to seek a mandate, to seek the support of the Australian public for our agenda, to reject the negative agenda. If the Prime Minister, as I said, was so committed to have these bills pass he had every opportunity.

We have made our position clear. We will not be supporting the ABCC. Those opposite have spent many months claiming that the ABCC will deal with criminal conduct on building sites. There is only one problem. It is a civil regulator and it is not legally allowed to do that. Their own bill does not allow them to deal legally with criminal matters on building sites. It does not do it, but they will say one thing and do another. The absolute hallmark of this government is to say one thing and do another.