Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

() (): I rise in sorrow to appeal to those opposite to stop vilifying Australian companies as 'big polluters', to stop vilifying honest Australian men and women who go about their jobs in companies like Qantas and Virgin Australia and the power stations in my electorate and also the food manufacturers. Stop vilifying these honest Australian mums and dads as working for 'big polluters'. Have the courage to come into this place today in question time and put a ban on 'big polluters'—put a ban on using that term. You come in here every day and you make these accusations. You vilify honest working Australian mums and dads and then you pretend to stand up for the workers of Australia. Whatever happened to that great Australian Labor Party tradition of standing up for the workers of Australia, standing up for their jobs? Whatever happened to the great Australian Labor Party tradition of standing up for the workers? You have stopped doing it because now you are talking about those scary big polluters. Have the guts to come into this place today and not talk about big polluters—just for one day. Recognise that these are big businesses who create the prosperity and the wealth of our nation and stop vilifying these companies and stop vilifying these people. One last appeal I would like to make is for the unions of this country to finally stand up for the workers' jobs. Why don't the unions of this country actually give their workers a vote? Why don't the unions of this country actually go on the shop floor and give their workers a vote on this carbon tax? They know their jobs are at stake and this government— (Time expired)

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 2 pm, the time for members' statements has concluded.