Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Deputy President. I think one of the directors of the Reserve Bank, who was also a director of BlueScope Steel, said it perfectly. He said it for Australia; he said it for industry; he said it for the blue-collar workers; he said it for everyone:

The Australian economy will survive the economic downturn but it may not survive the emissions trading system.

That is what he said. He must have some credibility, for the government have him on the Reserve Bank. I admire his tenacity and strength in coming out and telling it as it is. That is what it is all about: you have turned your back on the blue-collar jobs. It is a tragedy.

But gradually it is filtering through. Last week I went up to Allies Creek, a million acres of forestry plantations, with apiarists and cattle. It has all closed down. About 300 jobs have been lost in the sawmilling industry. Who suffered? It was the sawmillers and the blue-collar workers who suffered, sold out for Green preferences. These guys are going to wake up to you. You have absolutely deserted them. You have walked away from them. You are selling out. You sold them out in the Riverina yesterday—800 working-class jobs gone through your minister again selling the blue-collar workers out to the environmental lobby, the green lobby. You have got away with it—you have Green preferences in the state—but it is not going to last. You can fool people some of the time, but you cannot fool them all the time. The blue-collar workers are not stupid. They can see their jobs being traded off for Green preferences. It happened in Allies Creek. Sixty years of development, 15 homes—working men’s quarters—sheds and fire engines were sold off for $270,000. Sixty people made their living there, and it was sold for $270,000. You are selling these guys out, but you are selling them out cheaply. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.