It's pretty clear from what we have seen from those opposite that a scare campaign is underway. I'd normally try and expect better from Western Australian senators, as we see from the current Acting Deputy President, Senator Sterle. But it really is disappointing that we see Senator Brockman following the path of the Prime Minister. The best the government can do in regard to this issue is mount a scare campaign, lame one that it is. A scare c...
Read MoreI want to talk about regional Queensland, federal Labor and federal Labor leader Bill Shorten's ongoing commitment to ensuring that we are representing the interests of regional Queensland. I note as I speak in this chamber that federal Labor leader Bill Shorten is in Gladstone and is already doing his fourth town hall in Queensland this year. He's already done town halls in Townsville, in Mackay, which I was lucky enough to attend, and also i...
Read MoreThe others really have their heads buried in the sand on this issue. It's quite remarkable—when we've gone through a by-election in Batman, where this was a significant issue, particularly in the last week of the campaign, and where Labor put on record its commitment to supporting Catholic education—and quite interesting that those opposite really dismiss it. They can say, 'Well, that contest in Batman was just Labor versus the Greens; it wasn...
Read MoreIt is opportune that this is the matter that we are discussing today, in light of the events of the weekend and, particularly, the Batman by-election. I want to put on the record my congratulations to Ged Kearney, the new Labor member for Batman, and the federal Labor leader, Bill Shorten, who really threw himself into the campaign. There has been a real consistency about what Labor have been talking about since Bill Shorten became the Labor l...
Read MoreSenator CHISHOLM (Queensland) (16:15): We actually have seen that exposure draft legislation. We picked it up, word for word, and submitted it as a private member's bill, so they'll have an opportunity. They've done nothing. They've become captive to the payday lenders and the shonks out there. That's who they've become captive to. We're going to stand up for these people, so we've submitted a private member's bill. It's up to them to have a...
Read MoreYesterday I met with the delegation of AWU members from across Australia. They were in town to talk about gas, and particularly domestic gas as a feedstock for the places where they worked. They included Steve from Incitec Pivot in Brisbane, which I had the opportunity to ask a question about yesterday, and Adam from QAL in Gladstone, both in my state of Queensland. As I mentioned, their workplace is vulnerable from the high cost of domestic g...
Read More