Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wanted to talk about something positive, but I can't let that one go, Senator Brockman. What an absolute crack-up. You got two seats back there in WA the last time I looked—two seats out of 59. Maybe what the Liberal Party of Australia need to do is get on the phone to Paris. Or is it Brussels? Where's the leader of the clan? Maybe you need a clan in every state. Would that fix it?

I've got better things to talk about, anyway. I want to talk about today in Canberra—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Listen to this, you lot. You might learn something, you ignoramuses! Today, there is a delegation of workers from the transport industry here in Canberra. They are being led by the Transport Workers Union, with state transport organisations and with employers—big employers. They've all come together to tell the story of the danger that we are facing in the transport industry in Australia. It's called the gig economy. So far they've had 38 meetings, and gig economy workers have had the ability to share their stories with members of parliament and with the crossbench. I don't know if anyone from that side has actually taken the opportunity to go and talk to these people who have been injured with no compensation because of the greed of the gig economies. I've got to tell you, they're here and the industry is united.

I can't wait till the time when the bill comes through this chamber and you lot over there will be held to account and challenged to stand up with the united transport industry, calling for reform, calling for safety and calling for minimum enforceable standards. I'm going to keep an eye on a lot of you, but I'm going to challenge you, Senator McKenzie, because I want to know where you stand. You are following me around the nation, speaking up a real big fight on how good you lot over there are going to be for transport. When I deliver speeches and when I talk to the road transport industry, I don't have bits of paper in front of me written by someone else. I don't need that. I actually know what I'm talking about. So I really cannot wait to see you squirm under that desk when you follow those major corporations who donate to you and you give the middle finger to the united front of the Australian transport industry—and it ain't the Australian Trucking Association. (Time expired)