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

On 16 March I made a speech during the time for senators' statements saying that this Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal order is wrong; it is very damaging to owner drivers. Some 35,000 of them will face huge financial burdens, loss of income and even bankruptcy. When the legislation came in in 2012 I was not overly critical of it because I was told by many that it was about Coles and Woolworths paying a fair rate to truckies. I always support small business, so I was not overly hard on it. I did say to members of the Transport Workers Union that if they stacked that tribunal with union thugs we would rip it apart one day, and that is exactly what is happening. Jennifer Acton is on a huge salary of some $400,000-plus a year to be president of this tribunal—