Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

What we have seen over the last few days is a squalid attempt by the opposition to smear a former High Court judge—a sordid, squalid attempt by an opposition which should know better to defend the indefensible, which is these series of abuses which have been exposed at the royal commission where union official after union official has been ripping off workers in order to help the union, in some cases ripping off workers in order to help secure a preselection, in order to help secure the numbers within the Labor Party. I say to members opposite: it is about time that we had honest unionism in this country. That is what the royal commission is about—it is about ensuring that we do have honest unionism in this country. That is what the Registered Organisations Commission bill—yet again blocked by members opposite—was about: securing decent, honest unionism in this country. That is what the Australian Building and Construction Commission is all about. It is about securing the rule of law on construction sites.

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