John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Can the minister advise the Senate on the importance of supporting small business operators in the heavy vehicle industry?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Williams for his question, and for everything he has done to support owner-drivers in Australia—something that those on the other side refuse to do. Owner-drivers—small business people—are the backbone of Australia's economy. They are vital to Australia's supply chain and they offer critical support for local communities. Anyone from rural and regional Australia—as Senator Williams knows—knows what these owner-drivers do for their small communities. But, because of a dirty deal that was done between the former Labor government—former Prime Minister Gillard and Mr Shorten as the industrial relations minister—and the TWU, owner-drivers are today literally being decimated across Australia—absolutely decimated. These are people who mortgage their homes to buy a truck. That truck is their small business. That truck is their life. For Mr Shorten and for Tony Sheldon to say that these owner-drivers are anything other than safe on our roads and highly responsible for the safety of their vehicles is nothing short of an insult to them, particularly when they are mums and dads—mums and dads who have kids at home; who go out on long-haul drives and who want to get home and see their kids at night. It is an insult to them that you would say that they are anything other than safe.

What we know is this: why was this dirty little deal done? Well, when the former Labor government—despite saying, 'there will be no carbon tax policy under our government'—brought in the carbon tax, Tony Sheldon went straight to them and said: 'The carbon tax is a death tax.' So what did they do? They promised Tony Sheldon the RSRT and, miraculously, the campaign went away—nothing more and nothing less.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any claims made about the link between remuneration and safety?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes; I am, and unfortunately it was a false premise upon which this tribunal was set up. Again, it was done on the premise that if you pay drivers more, they will suddenly behave in a safer manner. If that was the premise, why is only part of the industry being targeted with this payment order—and the part of the industry that under any analysis is the safest part of the industry? Owner-drivers, because—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On my left.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those on the other side want to put owner-drivers—small business people—out of business. They want to funnel them in so they become employee drivers and have to join the TWU. It is a fact that in 84 per cent of collisions involving a heavy vehicle the heavy vehicle driver is not at fault. And yet those on the other side would condemn owner-drivers as being unsafe. (Time expired)

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a further supplementary question. What action will the government take to deliver concrete, positive results for the heavy vehicle industry?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government has announced that, if we are successful in our abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the funds will be redirected to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. This is the appropriate body that can deliver real and tangible road safety outcomes in the trucking industry. And all of the truckies that I have been speaking to support that outcome. The heavy vehicle regulator administers the Heavy Vehicle National Law. It is responsible for regulating a range of safety-related measures including driver fatigue, speeding and loading requirements, and for ensuring that supply chains share equal responsibility for safety standards. What we on this side will not do is cripple owner-drivers within Australia, many of whose trucks at the moment are still. They are going nowhere because there is no more work for them. We will stand up for them and get them back on the road. (Time expired)