Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

On the Wednesday of the last sitting week, in the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister tabled our response to this disgraceful situation—which is, of course, our legislation to protect the 60,000 volunteers in the Country Fire Authority in Victoria. Our legislation will fix this mess once and for all.

We know that the Leader of the Opposition knows that he is in the wrong on this, because during the federal election campaign he was loath to attend his home state of Victoria because of the position that the Labor Party have taken on this issue. The Leader of the Opposition, a member in Victoria, has refused to side with the Victorian community. Labor say they put people first. I say to Mr Shorten: on this issue, you are not putting people first; you are putting Peter Marshall and the United Firefighters Union first. You should put the 60,000 volunteers in the CFA first. (Time expired)