Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I am delighted that Senator Forshaw was finally able to get up the wind to get out all of his supplementary question. In relation to AWAs, I simply say this: we as a government believe that AWAs are very effective and that is why so many Australian workers are signing up to them. The statistics are quite clear. The statistics are based only on those that are actually lodged in the proper legal way. If the allegation here is that it was never lodged and it never found its way into the system, then therefore its legality will undoubtedly be questioned. But I do not want to go there because I am not sure what the investigation will reveal. But the allegations as they have been made publicly would suggest that it is not the sort of AWA that would be lawful under our legislation, which gives confidence to the workers of this country that our regime is robust.