Senator BARNETT (2:32 PM) —My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Eric Abetz. Is the minister aware of the recent attempt by the Labor Party to link the Howard government’s new work-creating workplace relations policy Work Choices to a tragic suicide in my home state of Tasmania? What is the government’s response to this shameful, and what I would consider outrageous, claim?

Senator ABETZ (Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) —I thank Senator Barnett for his question in rightly exposing the extreme, dishonest and shameful campaign being run by Labor and the unions against Work Choices.

Senator O’Brien —You don’t like the truth.

Senator ABETZ —I accept that interjection from Senator O’Brien that ‘You don’t like the truth.’ That needs to be in the Hansard. On 26 September, a Tasmanian Labor MP made a shameful speech to the Tasmanian parliament about the tragic suicide death of a resident of north-east Tasmania. I do not intend to go into the details of this tragic incident, suffice to say that suicide is always tragic. My condolences go out to the man’s family.

Labor claimed, through Ms Heather Butler MP, that this man took his life after being dismissed from his job and that he was allegedly denied union representation because of Work Choices—an entirely false assertion. Work Choices in fact enshrines the right to union representation. This claim was vigorously denied by the Mayor of the Break O’Day Council, Mr Robert Legge. In a letter to the Labor MP the mayor stated:

However, based on these false claims, the Labor MP made the following shameful assertion:

So according to the Labor Party not only will Work Choices lead to mass sackings, which of course have not occurred, but it is now apparently the cause of suicides. What a baseless and shameful claim, so baseless, I note, that Ms Butler, the Labor MP in question, has declined to repeat her claims, which Senator O’Brien is so foolishly repeating in this place now. And of course she fails to apologise.

The sad fact is that, in making this claim, this Labor MP was only following orders—the orders of the ACTU. We on this side recall the outrageous statement last year by the President of the ACTU, Sharan Burrow, on ABC’s Lateline program, in relation to the campaign against Work Choices. What did she say? ‘ I need a mum or a dad of someone who’s been seriously injured or killed. That would be fantastic.’ Ms Burrow failed to repudiate that statement, as did Mr Beazley. So with such weak leadership, the pitiful Labor foot soldier, Heather Butler, MHA, blindly followed with her unsubstantiated and shameful claim.

I understand that Mr Beazley is trying to get fit for office by going to the gym. I welcome that, but can I say there is a greater imperative and that is to be morally fit for office. Mr Beazley needs to repudiate Sharan Burrow and Heather Butler, MHA, for their outrageous comments.

Senator Bob Brown —Mr President, on a point of order: I ask you to look at that comment which reflects on the Leader of the Opposition in another place. I do not think it reflects positively on that leader, and I think it should be withdrawn.

The PRESIDENT —My ruling on the point of order is that the comment was not unparliamentary, but I would ask the senator to perhaps choose his words more carefully.

Senator ABETZ —Mr President, on the point of order: what we have here, Mr President—

The PRESIDENT —I have ruled on the point of order, Senator Abetz. You now have 15 seconds to complete your answer.

Senator ABETZ —Mr President, the point is surely this: those on the other side respond with mock indignation when I talk about moral leadership, but when a state Labor MP does this they are deadly silent. They know what she has done and they ought to condemn her. (Time expired)