Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sheldon for his very incisive questions. He is a new addition to the parliament here but brings with him a significant amount of experience in the industry and a significant amount of knowledge about the practical problems that are going to arise from the passing of this legislation—and, I might say, he's very passionate advocate for working people—in explaining why so much is wrong with this legislation. It's been a long time since I have been a union official, but I am a great supporter of them; you can understand why when you hear the passion with which Senator Sheldon speaks about the practical issues that are going to arise from the passing of this legislation.

The minister seemed to have some information about the nurses federation and what might apply to that organisation. In New South Wales there are two organisations. There's the nursing federation, but there is also a state registered union in New South Wales, which I assume still exists. The response of the minister may have been to that federal organisation and not to the nurses organisation that is registered in New South Wales. So that might be something that Senator Sheldon might want to follow up on, if he gets an opportunity, to clarify the circumstances there. There was that old decision of Moore v Doyle where a union was divided into two separate organisations. If I recollect correctly, Moore v Doyle might have been a Transport Workers Union case.