Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

To commence my contribution in this debate, I want to make an observation. It is what Labor contributions seem to be underpinned by: misrepresenting answers given by ministers, misconstruing things and selective quoting—which I have seen a lot of today. It started with Senator Urquhart's question where she selectively quoted from Senator Brandis's answer from yesterday in trying to make a case, which she was not able to in the end. Senator Brandis, in his answer, was able to demolish the point that she was trying to make. It was also very revealing to hear today that the Labor Party intend to vote against the legislation to prevent corrupting benefits. I thought that was a very, very revealing answer. To hear that the people who are coming in here railing against these cuts to penalty rates, as they have characterised them, are then going to try and push back on this proposal from the government to protect workers and ensure their rights are protected when it comes to these big business and big union deals. There was a lot of noise from the opposition when that point was made, but I have not yet heard anyone deny that that is what Labor are going to do to protect workers' rights instead of the rights of big unions. It is just astounding that they try to come in here and claim the moral high ground when they have no capacity to do so.

In other areas of this debate, opposition members have pointed to us speaking about the independence of the Fair Work Commission and the way it reaches its decisions and tried to contrast that with our decision to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which is a ridiculous link to draw.