Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Defence (Senator Johnston) and the Assistant Treasurer (Senator Sinodinos) to questions without notice asked today.

The government of Australia at the moment is playing politics with Australians' lives. If you look at what has occurred in this country since September last year, we have a litany of failures to support Australian families and Australian jobs, putting pressure on families' mortgages. We have a government that is prepared to goad Holden into announcing it was leaving Australia. Mr Hockey stood on the floor of the other place and goaded Holden. And what did Holden do? They followed Mr Hockey's lead and closed their business. Those opposite stood in silence as Toyota announced they were closing their doors because the ecosystem of the motor industry had collapsed—because of this government's indolence. Then, when it came to the closing of Alcoa, what did we hear? Absolutely nothing. With SPC, they tried to blackmail the company into cutting wages. In Tasmania we have contractors going to the wall, because those opposite, including Senator Bushby, said they were going to build fibre to the home—guaranteed—for every Tasmanian. What have we got? Contractors protesting in the streets of Tasmania and going broke, because this government misled them before the last election. And we have the defence shipping industry saying to this government right now that unless you give us some work thousands more Australians will lose their jobs. But, no, if you are a mate of the former chief of staff of Senator Nash or if you are a mate of Cadbury, you will get government money—lots of government money. Those opposite should hang their heads in shame that they are allowing thousands upon thousands of Australian families, and the jobs that support them, to be smashed on the altar of their free-market ideological rhetoric.

The Minister for Defence knows that there are up to 4,000 jobs on the chopping block unless he gets his act together and starts delivering some work for our defence shipping industry. It is quite extraordinary that a government is going to companies and telling them, 'You are not getting a handout unless you start slashing wages'—because that is what this government really believes. They believe it is the fault of the workers in the enterprises—they are to blame when it comes to why the companies are not doing well.

When those companies talk to the government and need assistance, what do they get? They get free-market, flat-earth ideology. This ideological campaign is putting thousands of workers on the scrap heap, except if you are in Tasmania and you work for Cadbury. When it comes to Qantas, what promises have been made over the last few weeks? What promises have been going on behind closed doors? That is what this government needs to stand up and be honest about. What promises were made to Qantas? What promises did Mr Hockey make? What promises did Mr Truss make? And what happened last night in cabinet when they got rolled? This is what Mr Truss said in December in relation to the Qantas Sale Act:

It would simply be a waste of time and political energy, when it is obvious that I think the majority of the Australian people and certainly the majority of the people elected to the parliament at the present time, especially in the Senate, do not favour that course of action.

And what did the cabinet come up with last night? They want to repeal the Qantas Sale Act. This is just another political stunt.

And here is Senator Bushby, just walking back into the chamber—the man who before the election promised every Tasmanian that they would get fibre to the home. He is the man responsible for contractors losing their jobs today in Tasmania, based on the promise that Senator Bushby made to them. (Time expired)