Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor opposes this motion, which, at its heart, is just a sad stunt. We do not accept that Senator Bernardi has any genuine concern for workers or for their rights to unionise. That position is supported by the evidence of his many votes in this place for legislation designed to attack workers' rights. If Senator Bernardi had any genuine concern for workers he would have voted against the Turnbull government's politicised, scandal-ridden, anti-worker, anti-union legislation. He would have voted against establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission. He would have voted against the Registered Organisations Commission. And he would commit now to voting against the Liberals' other anti-worker, anti-union bills which will come before the Senate, instead of moving motions that mirror the Liberal-Nationals anti-renewables ideology. We oppose this motion.