Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I was not sure that Senator Polley was a minister. Anyhow, I take your word for it. Senator Sherry, you used to live in Hobart. You must have been shuffled out of there by the powers that be in the Labor Party. But there cannot be too many in the Labor Party cabinet who live outside the capital cities. Perhaps you could help me there, Senator Sherry, if you could name one or two, because I am struggling. I think it is symptomatic of this government, which has no real interest in people who live outside the capital cities. All the votes come from the capital cities; there are lots of people there—look after them and you will win the election. But for those of us who have to rely on transport and particularly road transport to get the food we eat, these imposts are going to have an enormous impact.

I understand some independent research commissioned by the trucking industry—I think Senator Scullion might have referred to this research—has suggested that the sector is already overcharged by $130 million a year.