Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to make a few comments on a budget speech I heard tonight, but before doing that I would like to comment on the previous speaker's discourse on human rights. I say to her that I thought everything she said had already been looked after in this parliament by the Scrutiny of Bill Committee, and one wonders why we have two of those committees. There is also a human rights subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. So we have three different bodies looking after human rights in this parliament. I guess a couple more will not hurt!

Before I get onto my budget comments, can I congratulate Senator Fierravanti-Wells on her speech on further exposures on the member for Dobell. I just wonder how long it will be before the unionists who pay their fees across the union movement in Australia demand a royal commission into what happens to their union fees once they get to union HQ. I cannot believe that the Health Services Union is the only union that has spawned the sort of conduct we have been reading about in the Fair Work Australia report. Indeed, I know my namesake—no relation, I hasten to add—in the New South Wales parliament, a Labor member by the name of Ian Macdonald, was alleged to have spent money that was not his. In my own state of Queensland I cannot on one hand count the number of former Labor members of parliament who are currently serving terms in jail for things like fraud and bribery—people like Gordon Nuttall, who was the darling of the Labor Party in Queensland for many years. Some would wonder why the people of Queensland were so eager to get rid of almost every single Labor member in the Queensland state parliament. My long experience tells me they are waiting to do the same with every Labor member, and every Labor senator that they can, at the next federal election.

I am sure it concerns all senators that, in the case of the HSU, the money of low-paid workers has been misused. It appals all of us. But no-one can believe that it stops there. The sooner there is a full inquiry into the way union funds are spent around Australia, the better off the union movement will become and the better off those few workers in Australia who choose to contribute to unions will be from the payment of their money for what they believe is work to be done in their interests, not in the interests of the few union bosses. There are a couple of prominent union bosses who we always see wandering around this place—we see them on telly; we see them in all parts of the country and the world. One wonders how they are getting there and whose funds they are using. We hear of them being at fairly classy restaurants and we wonder who is paying for that. I do think that we need a real investigation—and that is something the Gillard government could well do. Perhaps when Mr Shorten becomes Prime Minister he might initiate a serious inquiry into just what happens to union funds.

I have diverted myself a little. I did want to say what a magnificent budget reply speech I heard in this parliament tonight. Regrettably it was not in this chamber. In the other chamber it seemed like thousands of people applauded non-stop for about 10 minutes when Mr Abbott finished his speech. They witnessed what was a magnificent address. As my Facebook page is running wild saying, what a real Prime Minister—what a magnificent speech from someone who will do this country proud rather than be an embarrassment. I am afraid that is the most common comment made to me by my constituents about the current Prime Minister. In fact, the most common question I am asked by my constituents these days—almost in an accusing way—is, 'Why can't you get us an election; why can't you let us have a say on this government?' I do explain to them that numbers count, and when you see the goodies a couple of Independents have got for their electorates you would be excused for saying they have been bribed for their support. Of course I know it is unparliamentary to accuse those Independent members of being bribed so I will not say that—but when you see all of the things that have gone to their electorates which most of the electorates in Australia have not got, you can make up your own terminology.

Mr Abbott tonight gave a very statesmanlike speech, and so many people in the gallery and so many people on my Facebook and so many people in phone calls to my office have said what a magnificent speech it was; that is what Australia needs from its Prime Minister. Regrettably, in this chamber, we have the Greens political party again just rolling over with a few words of criticism of the current government that they keep in power, but then we had a speech that more or less said to the Labor Party that it can do it what it likes; the Greens will support them under any circumstances. Even their change of leader—and I have to say the Greens have been a little bit better behaved since the change of leadership—does not alter the fact that the Greens political party is really the ultra left wing of the Labor Party. Perhaps the less said about the Greens' budget response the better for us all. Again, can I add to the congratulations of thousands of other Australians my congratulations to Tony Abbott on a magnificent budget reply speech tonight.

Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind honourable senators that legislative committees will meet to consider estimates commencing on Monday, 21 May 2012 at 9.00 a.m. The program details will be published on the Senate website.

Senate adjourned at 21:21 until Monday, 18 June 2012 at 10:00