Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

All parties should recognise the difficult situation in which Qantas and its workers find themselves and the tough decisions that lie ahead.

All parties bear the responsibility to work constructively to secure Qantas's future and the thousands of jobs which it provides here in Australia. Let me be very clear: industrial action in these circumstances is in nobody's interest. Indeed, the Qantas situation reminds me of the Tasmanian paper mill situation of two decades ago in Tasmania, where fundamental changes needed to be made. And what did the union movement do? They held a strike; they held a picket. Do you know what happened, Mr President? All the union leaders ended up in parliament and all the workers on the scrap heap of unemployment! The mill is no longer in existence; no more jobs.

But do you know what, Mr President? The union leaders are in the parliament or getting parliamentary pensions as we— (Time expired)