STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (13:42): On an extraordinarily happy note, I am very pleased to announce that the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government last week announced the establishment of the Freight Industry Reference Panel Heavy Vehicle Subcommittee. This provides a new forum for government and industry to work together on the pressures facing our industry and to support a productive and safe road transport sector.

I'm very honoured to have been appointed the chair of that subcommittee, and I will be joined by some industry titans: Peter Anderson, CEO of the Victorian Transport Association and national secretary of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation; Gary Mahon, CEO of Queensland Trucking Association; Michelle Harwood, executive director of the Tasmanian Transport Association; Warren Clark, CEO of NatRoad, the National Road Transport Association; and Mathew Munro, CEO of the Australian Trucking Association.

Thousands of transport and trucking companies are represented by those organisations and those leaders, and they employ hundreds of thousands of transport workers and owner-drivers. I look forward to working with these industry leaders and with the other subcommittees, the Rail Subcommittee and the Ports and Shipping Subcommittee, and with governments at all levels to deliver on the critical actions under the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and its national action plan.

We'll also work together on the pressing issues not limited to but confronting the road transport industry, including sham contracting and improving and lifting productivity. On a final note, I cannot thank the minister enough. In my 21 years in this building, this is the first minister for transport and infrastructure who has actually reached out and said to industry, 'What do we need to hear?

What do we need to hear from you and what do we need to implement to get good outcomes for our national supply chains and our freight strategy?' I do tip my hat to the minister. I thank her sincerely. We will not let you down, Minister.

We've got the sleeves rolled up and we've hit the ground running. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator O'Sullivan ): Congratulations on your appointment, Senator Sterle. It is a worthy one.