Earlier this week in the chamber the member for Canning once again made a disgraceful attack on hard-working blue-collar Western Australians. This time his focus was on the guys steering the big ore ships in and out of Port Hedland. I want to set the record straight.

The member for Canning claimed that those working on tugboats towing ships out of Port Hedland get paid $135,000 a year, that they work for just six months a year and that they want a 40 per cent pay rise.

Yes, they do get paid 135,000 per year—much less than the member himself is paid—