Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to questions without notice asked by Senators Sheldon and Gallagher today relating to economic growth.

I rise to take note of the questions given to Senator Cormann—not his answers—asked by Senators Sheldon and Gallagher. Quite clearly, the call should be, 'Roll up, roll up, roll up—the circus is in town!' My goodness me, what a shemozzle! I particularly take note of the question that Senator Sheldon put to the finance minister. When we read the priorities that the Prime Minister's office has sent out to all of Australia, it's no wonder that the majority of Australians sit there and shake their heads thinking, 'What the heck have we got leading this nation?' Senator Sheldon clearly asked the minister about the embarrassing leak—these speaking notes—where the government says that they have a plan for an 'even stronger economy'. I have to be honest with you: if it came down to what the Prime Minister said or what the finance minister said in question time, I would put my money on Deloitte Access Economics. Deloitte Access Economics would absolutely get my vote straightaway. They today pointed out that they expect economic growth to be below trend this year, much less than what the government forecast, and that wages growth has stalled. We got a dribbling response from the minister—I'd like to say it's comic, but it's not funny; it's far from being funny.

Then Senator Sheldon proposed a supplementary question to the finance minister. In the government's talking notes, Treasurer Frydenberg has claimed that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Once again—if I had to choose—would I believe Deloitte Access Economics or would I believe the Treasurer, Mr Frydenberg, when we talked about the economy being strong or otherwise and that his government have 'the right policies settings'? Deloitte Access Economics came out quite clearly. They said that the pain in our economy has been home grown. That only means one thing: it's by this mob here. It's been fertilised well by this mob too, over the last six years, I can tell you!

I'd like to think this government talking points document is just pretend stuff, but unfortunately there are a bunch of young kids in the Prime Minister's office who think that all the backbenchers are that dumb that they have to put out stupid statements, that government members can all follow, in case they get bailed up in the hallway. Have a look. It has some of their plans for a stronger economy. This is what the Prime Minister's kiddies are saying to that mob opposite—in case they get quizzed, see if they can blind the media or anyone else with some pollie words, some absolute rubbish. One of their plans for an even stronger economy is 'building resilience and rewarding aspiration'. Makes you want to vomit, listening to this! This is what they say: 'Reduce the costs of doing business—

A government senator: Hear, hear!

And then they put 'energy, deregulation, finance'—are you ready for another 'Hear, hear!'? Give me another 'Hear, hear!' Are you ready for this one?—and 'getting paid on time'. Well, let me just spend a couple of minutes talking about getting paid on time. What this mob over there wouldn't know is I've been very, very busy this year hosting transport industry associations, owner-drivers state and national, the Transport Workers Union. We've all been in the one room here in Canberra not once but twice. The first time there were 70-odd people and the second time there were 60-odd people, representing no less than 36 different organisations around Australia. They're having a gripe about this great industry, the transport industry. Let me tell you this: when Australia slows down, the first for it to affect, the first who feels the pain, is the trucking industry. I'll make that very clear. It's not the housing industry but the trucking industry, because we're the ones who cart the bricks and we're the ones who cart the tiles and the cement. We know what it's like.

But they had a host of issues that they were concerned about. One was the great disrespect afforded to them by the mob over on that side of the chamber when they insulted the industry. When the industry drove the recommendations in the terms of reference for the Senate inquiry into the road transport industry, each and every single one of this mob lined up dutifully and respectfully and voted against it just to slap the trucking industry on its way through. Their rates are shocking not only now but it was quoted to me on more than one occasion—and I talk with experience here, because I know darn well what I'm talking about. I don't need kiddie speaking notes from someone who spent most of their adult life watching The West Wing'This is what you need to say.' Not only are they struggling to get paid, but guess what one of the biggest problems was? It was getting paid on time. There is this nonsense in the transport industry about the users of transport from mining companies, the great doyen of the Liberal Party support base, that it's not seven days or 14 days—I went on strike to get paid for seven days! I pulled up and parked across the gate with my mates to make sure we got paid, because we had bills to pay. With you lot, it's 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 120 days. One of the largest contracts in this nation—I won't mention who it is—has now screwed the trucking industry to 150-day payments, and the government is doing nothing. (Time expired)