Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will take my lead from the President. You are not going to be President, and I will take my lead from the President. Until the Australian Labor Party appreciates the fact that you have completely destroyed that relationship over 15 years, then you will not be suitable for government. I think the very interesting part of what we have seen over the last 12 months—if not the last 15 years, and this is what the Australian people will finally put two and two together on—is the union movement, through the ACTU, acknowledging the fact that they must admit defeat in relation to their level of influence outside this place. I come to what that has now meant. I like Senator George Campbell, but I am going to mention in a second a name that he does not particularly like, so I apologise for that because I do like Senator Campbell and I would like to see him back here. The person who wants his job is another example of what we are seeing. The trade union movement now has under 20 per cent coverage of the private sector, and it is under 30 per cent for the public sector. What has happened is that we have seen the union bosses make the decision that their level of influence outside parliament has completely gone, so you will now see a massive shift from outside into this place because the only way the trade union movement can retain its power in this country is to make sure that it runs the Australian Labor Party both here and in the other place. I do not need to go through the names of those that have been so articulately mentioned tonight by others.