Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Hansard source

in reply—I would normally thank members who have contributed to the debate on the Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill 2008 and the Road Transport Charges (Australian Capital Territory) Repeal Bill 2008, but unfortunately on this occasion, despite my generally courteous manner, I am not going to thank members opposite for their contributions.

In the descriptions of this legislation we have heard such terms as hypocritical, crazy, not fair and not right, and the last speaker said, ‘I do not comprehend how the Labor government believes the bills are a good thing and in the best interests of the country.’ What we have heard, frankly, is a set of speeches that represent some of the greatest hypocrisy and cant that I have heard in this chamber in the last 18 years, and I will explain why shortly. According to members of the now opposition, you would think the previous government had no role in developing this bill. In fact, it comes from the previous government. I will explain how it came—