Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I remind the member for Gorton about tedious repetition, which is also in the standing orders.

What we see from those opposite is the championing of issues which are designed to give them gravitas but simply try to distract from the sorts of things that this bill is meant to address. Their championing of same-sex marriage is a case in point. Then an attempt to re-try the case for Australian Republicanism. Many of these things last about two hours, or however long the news cycle tempo is that drives Labor operations.

Most tellingly, both for the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Gorton and the once-proud Labor Party, is the open question beyond Canberra about what they and their party actually stand for. The reality hits home even harder when the member for Maribyrnong is compared to Labor titans like Bob Hawke and perhaps even Gough Whitlam. Because whether you like them or not it is nevertheless indisputable they both stood for something, and this substance derived ultimately from individual character.

Both men were strong, energetic, essentially decent and visionary, focused far beyond mere self-aggrandisement. Of course, against such lofty standards, most mortals would be found wanting, but against them the Leader of the Opposition positively wilts!

Regrettably for many Labor true believers, what the ABC's The Killing Season shows, and what some of the things that have been relayed in relation to this bill actively demonstrate, is that it is a bitter reminder to those true believers in the Labor Party that their 'light on the hill' has not yet been lit in the 21st century, and that under the stewardship of the opposition leader it is unlikely to be rekindled for the foreseeable future.

Let me talk about some of the measures in this bill, now that I have outlined for the member for Gorton what they are meant to redress. The bill introduces a suite of legislative measures that are designed to see governance of registered organisations lifted to a consistently high standard across the board. A more robust compliance regime will deter wrongdoing and promote first-class governance of registered organisations, protecting those low-paid workers that members opposite often refer to.

There are a range of measures in this bill that are designed to protect those people—to protect their interests and make sure that unions comply with the interests of their members and, when they do not, that there can be some sanction. Members of the union and the community want not only a strong regulatory regime to give them confidence in their registered organisations but also swift action when those standards are breached. In order to do this, we have to have a robust regulator in place with appropriate powers and resources, together with meaningful sanctions that can be applied when wrongdoing is revealed.

The government believes that the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 [No. 2] will provide that certainty. It will provide the high standards of operation that members of registered organisations are entitled to expect. I say to the member for Gorton and others: the only people with anything to fear from these measures are those who do the wrong thing. Those who are operating within the law, which is the overwhelming majority of officers in registered organisations, have no reason to fear taking on official responsibilities. They should, in fact, be comforted by knowing that unlawful behaviour will be dealt with by this government.

See this speech in context