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

I just want to clarify something. I talk to every transport operators association and union in this nation—the Western Roads Federation, the Northern Territory Road Transport Association, the Victorian Transport Association, the Tasmanian Transport Association, the Queensland Trucking Association Ltd, NatRoad Australia, the Transport Workers Union, the Australian Trucking Association, the South Australian Road Transport Association, Road Freight NSW and the National Road Freighters Association. These represent thousands and thousands of big and small companies, owners and drivers. The TWU has thousands of owner-drivers, and all of them say to me very clearly that they fully support—it's in writing—getting the closing the loopholes legislation through to address all sorts of problems in this nation and to make the trucking industry safe, sustainable, viable and profitable.

I've been talking to them for many, many years. I come from that industry, as everyone knows. It amazes me—I saw some footage the other night of the shadow minister for transport and infrastructure, the Liberal-National Senator McKenzie, saying the whole of industry doesn't want this bill passed. In all fairness, I don't expect her to have the contacts I have, and I understand when we have debates and differences of opinions. I have no problem with that. But, when you make a statement like, 'I've spoken to industry about that and industry have said, "We don't want this,"' well, sorry. I just want to say to Senator McKenzie, if you've spoken to industry, come and do what I do. Come and stand in the Senate—being well mannered, without using foul language—and actually tell us who you are talking to. I have a contact list of owner-drivers in this nation. No-one would come near the number of owner-drivers whose phone numbers I have and who have mine. I run the roadhouse toilets and showers campaign that we've been doing for years. But, Senator McKenzie, you're not talking to industry, and, if you are, shut me up. Come and tell me who you are talking to.