Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thirteen times more likely to die on our roads—that is the statistic for our truckies in Australia. It is Australia's most deadly industry, and what we have just witnessed from the member for Page and the member for Bradfield in the last hour is absolutely abhorrent—trying to delay legislation that will bring the safety measures that our truckies deserve on the roads of Australia. It is simply not good enough. These opposition members need to pull their socks up and get on with the job of helping us to deliver the reform that they promised nearly eight years ago when they abolished the RSRT, when Michaelia Cash walked up the street in front of here and stood on a platform and ripped it away on the proviso that they would replace it with something better. It never came.

Thanks to the TWU in partnership with the National Road Freighters Association, with NatRoad, with the whole of industry, we have finally been able to deliver legislation to this place which will bring about better rates of pay, better safety on the roads, not just for our truckies but for everyday mums and dads and for everyday workers who have to commute to and from work—safer roads, safer Australia.