MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (16:32): I do look forward to making my contribution to this matter of public importance brought forward by Senator Roberts on behalf of One Nation. Those listening outside would think: 'Oh, isn't this fantastic? One Nation want to make fuel as cheap as possible.' But I just want to go back and take a little trip down memory lane.
It started probably about four or five years ago. Everyone in this building knows my work in the trucking industry—three generations of truckies. Yes, I'm a one-trick pony on a lot of things.
It's transport, but it's road, rail, sea and air as well. Down here, for years, we had the road transport industry—not just the union but the employers. Think about that—the employers and the union in the same room together, as well as owner-drivers.
There was the Tasmanian Transport Association, Victorian Transport Association, Road Freight NSW, Queensland Trucking Association, South Australian Road Transport Association, Australian Trucking Association, NatRoad, the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation, Western Roads Federation and, of course, the Northern Territory Road Train Association.
They were all pleading with that side of the chamber to support the move by the government to introduce some legislation that would give the trucking industry the ability to be safe, sustainable and viable. Those conversations were going for years. I facilitated those alongside my very dear friend Senator Tony Sheldon, as well as before he was the senator for New South Wales, when he headed up the national body of the Transport Workers' Union.
The industry came together and said: 'Please help us because we do some fantastic stuff. We make sure that when you get up in the morning your milk is there, your bread is there and your eggs are there. Not only are we delivering to you but we also deliver to the farms.
We, the trucking industry, also take out fertiliser. We take out fuel. We take out machinery.
Everything that needs to get this nation functioning is carried on the back of a truck. Those cornflakes that might pop up in your bowl tomorrow morning have probably been on nine trucks.' You would think that One Nation, the great saviour of the Aussie struggler or battler, would be there for Aussie strugglers and battlers. I facilitated meetings with Senator Hanson, asking her if she would please meet with the trucking industry.
I saw a tweet come out—this is going back about five years—where Senator Hanson said, 'Truckies and trucking companies should be paid properly and expect to get paid on time.' I got excited. I thought, 'Great, she's going to do the right thing by the trucking industry while they're screaming about the cost of fuel.' Guess what, everyone? Have one guess—who let the trucking industry down?
Who was one of the first crossbenchers to tuck in with that rabble over there to deny any opportunity for the transport industry to be represented and to be safe, sustainable and viable with their own body, through Fair Work, so they could get paid properly? Then we come to the crocodile tears. Senator Roberts, you are one of the most respected senators in this building as far as I'm concerned; I love your work because you actually come with dirt under your fingernails.
Unlike most of the rabble in this joint, you've been out there and worked. But, seriously, where were you when we came to you? Where were you when the road transport industry pleaded for One Nation's support?
I know, in my heart of hearts, that you'd have been the first one out there doing that. But to move a MPI about how sinister the Labor government is—we reduced the fuel excise by 32c a litre when fuel was going crazy, when the United States did what they did in the Gulf. Come on, let's be real fair about this.
Someone's got to pay for all this. We've still got to get freight moving. You know in your heart of hearts, Senator Roberts, that, fortunately, fuel prices have started moving down—nowhere near where they need to be.
I can't look One Nation in the eye and say they really have at heart the best interests of Australia's battlers, truckies and workers that are going to work every day, relying on fuel, when that pleading coming from both sides of the industrial fence to One Nation to be represented together and to be safe, sustainable and viable—I was going to say you crapped on them, but that would be unparliamentary; I apologise, and I withdraw that.
How can I look at One Nation and seriously take them at their word that they have at heart the best interests of businesses, strugglers and aspirants who want to make a go in Australia? I find it just too hard.