Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is interesting. We have just heard a good expose by Senator Murray, basically setting out exactly what this is—a holding pattern—so that we do not crucify those who are currently in the market. Why it is 25 per cent, and why it is not going to bring about the so-called moment of doom that has been talked about by the opposition, is that, if that were the case, it would be doing it now, because that is the portion of the market that is currently being described by the Motor Traders Association as ‘independents’. You asked for a description of what an independent is. It is right there in front of you. It is there in the legislation. The independents are all the fuel stations except the four major oil companies and Coles and Woolworths. It cannot be any clearer than that.

If this proposal were about to bring about this complete dislocation then we would already be suffering that complete dislocation because the sites and franchise acts have been in place since 1980; and, while we all agree that they need to be amended and fixed, we are not seeing that doom at the moment. So I do not know why this amendment is going to bring it about. It was a great exercise in spin, and it was great to see that, when their number is called, the Labor Party have the ability to fall into line. I do not think that Government Whip Jeannie Ferris could have done a better job on the Labor Party members than the job they have just done on themselves. It was brilliant. They have fallen into line. They know what they have got to do. They have to support the oil majors. They have got to make sure that those horrid independents and family businesses go broke. They have got to make sure they screw them down, because their number has been called today and they have all answered.

And it is all right. There are no protections in there for independents—none. The Labor Party obviously believe that the market should reign supreme and that there should be no controls—basically, that the biggest shall survive and the small shall die. That is an interesting position. But, anyway, we will continue this debate later on. We are going to make sure that this is carried out.

Progress reported.