Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I proudly rise to make my contribution to the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026. I didn't intend to make a contribution today, because I'd rather cut the time down and get the vote on and get on with it. But I can't be silent. I listened with the greatest respect to some of the contributions—not the one from my learned friend Senator O'Sullivan, who is one of the good ones, but to the contribution from Senator Roberts. I have a lot of time for Senator Roberts, but I have to clear this up.

Firstly, I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge in the gallery today some industry legends, and in no particular order; I'll start from the left and work my way across: Michael Kaine, National Secretary of the Transport Workers' Union, and Peter Anderson, the CEO of VTA and also the chair of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation. See that gang? We've got the union and the bosses sitting side by side.

This ain't a phenomenon that started this morning. This has been going on for 20 years. We have been working together to establish and try and implement a safe, sustainable and viable transport industry. I tilt my hat. I'll go along the chairs here: Glyn Castanelli, the National President of the National Road Freighters Association—it's good to see you, Glyn—And, Brownie, you're here too, mate. Guess what? Glyn was an owner-driver like me. Now, with all of these collectors up here—and there's many more—I'm going to take the opportunity to name them. They've been working in this building solidly for probably about the last seven or eight years, week in and week out, not only meeting with government senators and members but meeting with opposition senators and members, shadow ministers, One Nation.

Senator Roberts stood up there and said this is some union folly. Senator Roberts, this mob up here, along with the Victorian Transport Association, NatRoad, Tasmanian Transport Association, Road Freight NSW, Queensland Trucking Association, South Australian Road Transport Association, Western Roads Federation, Northern Territory Road Train Association, owner-drivers from around the nation and the TWU, are pleading to put the case. We need to be together to have a safe, sustainable and viable transport industry. Senator Roberts, I know you're not listening—you've had to go off to another meeting—but your staff will be listening. Senator Roberts, they came and saw you too, and they saw your boss, Senator Hanson. You know what you did? 'Don't come Monday.' Put out the odd tweet saying, 'Truckies need to be looked after.' We appreciate that. Yes, they do need to be.