Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, dinner with the battlers at the Hilton Hotel, over Tasmanian salmon and rib fillet—at $5,000 a table! They said there were construction people there, but do you know who was there? Dave Noonan. Imagine if you were the poor old builder in Western Australia, you had Dave Noonan trying to close down your site 12 months ago, you paid $5,000 to the Labor Party, and he is sitting next to you at lunch! Can you imagine that? That is not value for money. I will tell you what that is. That is proof positive that Dave Noonan, the CFMEU and the union bosses are front and centre of the Labor Party. They are the heart and soul of the Labor Party. If these people can get away with behaving in a thuggish manner under our laws and our independent watchdog, what do you think they will do should Kevin Rudd be elected? It will be free rein for the union bosses on construction sites around Australia, and if you want to know what that means for productivity just go and ask John Holland.

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