Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

You're optimistic, Senator, but I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you. It is a discrete piece of legislation that goes to dealing with the privileged position that registered organisations, both unions and employer organisations, have in the Australian industrial relations system and the economy more broadly, because we believe that those who hold office in those organisations and those organisations themselves should behave in a lawful and appropriate manner. They should act responsibly and they should respect the laws that apply to all Australians. But, self-evidently, as I said, even in the months that this bill has been before these chambers, that has not been the case. This bill is definitely a necessary intervention by the government in relation to the operation of registered organisations.

The only other thing I would say is that I was very interested to hear Senator Farrell use the term 'zombie-like', because the last time I heard somebody on that side of the chamber use the word 'zombie', it was used by our former colleague Senator Cameron in relation to the front bench of one of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments, but I can't recall which one.