John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will take the interjection from Senator Sterle. As I said, I did not have a problem with this legislation when it came out, because I do not want to see truckies done over by the big end of town; but I do not want to see our livestock truckies done over with paperwork and regulation and a tribunal where one person has the power. That is why I welcome the inquiry into this. I am all for support for the survival of our truckies.

Martin's livestock transport of Scone are good carriers. You see their cattle trucks everywhere. One million dollars it will cost, they told me—that extra tax from your plan in the carbon tax would cost Martin's transport $1 million a year. And to achieve what? No reduction in emissions whatsoever. Are we going to burn less fuel? No, their trucks will still burn eight billion litres of fuel a year. That is the case. Do not swamp our stock drivers and carriers with paperwork to achieve nothing. They are at call, as I said. A typical example is that they get a call from a station owner: 'Can we get this stock out before the rain comes?' What are they supposed to do, sit down for hours and go through paperwork? Who is going to agree to it all? It is outrageous. The Fair Work Act says that an oral contract is binding and that should be stuck to exactly. So that is the situation.

Senator Sterle interjecting—