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

It is indicating that the industry is already overcharged by $130 million a year, so where is the argument for this industry to be slugged with additional tax? Senator Sterle, according to Senator Hutchins, is also a good TWU man. I would be very interested to hear his contribution to this debate and to hear how he justifies another impost on his industry, an industry that is already said to be overcharged by $130 million a year. So why do we have this additional increase? Senator Sterle is from Western Australia. If there is anyone who should be opposing this bill it would have to be a Western Australian. You are probably even worse off than we are in North Queensland. Everything you get comes by road or rail transport, most of it by road these days. So I am sure Senator Sterle will get up in this debate and join us in opposing this bill to make sure that these additional taxes are not put on the road transport industry.