Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (15:12): I've heard some contributions in this joint, and that was one of the worst, and I'll tell you why, Senator Stoker. Before you start slurring this side of the chamber, I'll throw a challenge out to you—through you, Madam Deputy President, if I may. How many enterprise agreements have I negotiated over the years? How many negotiations have I entered into not only as a delegate, as a long-distance owner-driver, but also as a union organiser during 28 years on the job? How many grown men have you had in your office, Senator Stoker, on a Friday night, bursting into tears when they have found their job go down the road? How dare you use that language? How dare you try to mislead those who may be listening or reading, and the Qantas workers, that this side of the chamber needs to apologise for standing up for working men and women? That was one of the worst contributions, and I will debate you in every city, every town, every yard, every shop floor in this nation, and you will not win— Senator Stoker interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Stoker interjecting— Senator STERLE: You are so mischievous, the way you dare try to insinuate that the Qantas workers' wages were the reason they got the big A. They didn't even get a meeting or a letter. Do you know how they got the sack? Are you aware, Senator Stoker—because you're so well informed? No, you've got no idea. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, I would just remind you to make your remarks to the chair, and I remind other senators that they shouldn't interject. Senator STERLE: Sure—through the chair: do you know? You have no idea. They got an SMS. Now, before we start talking about the disgraceful rates of pay that Qantas workers demand: they were negotiated over the years. They were negotiated by the workers on one side, represented by their unions, and by management on the other side. I know, because I've been in the room for a number of them: Qantas EBA mark III and Qantas EBA mark IV. There was no gun to their head; Qantas did it. Senator Stoker, you need to understand: these jobs are still there. Your government has thrown taxpayers' dollars out like confetti to Qantas—$800 million for JobKeeper, over $1 billion all up—your government. That's your government. And do you know what Qantas are doing? They're giving you this—this is what they're saying to you: 'Thank you very much, because we're not only going to get rid of the workers; we want their jobs to come back with companies that will not even pay Australian standards.' They won't pay the superannuation guarantee charges that we are seeking. They will fight like hell. And you make it sound like Qantas are going broke. Guess what, Senator Stoker? I'm not allowed to say this—as she walks out of the chamber: you hypocrite. What hypocrisy. You couldn't wait to bag out other senators— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, it is not okay to take poetic licence. Senator STERLE: I couldn't help that. I'm sorry. Rank hypocrisy—it really gives me a knot in the guts, and there's a classic example. Qantas have actually said they're going to be in the black in two months. So what does it take to get through the heads of that side of the chamber that Qantas have used a pandemic for the opportunity to outsource jobs that are there and will be there? As the borders come down and we kick in, you should watch the flights come up on the screens next week. Watch all the flights come in for Christmas. Dare may I suggest: check how much it cost us to get here to Canberra, because we all probably came on Qantas, unless some drove. Check the prices that Qantas are charging us to go home. Make no mistake, they're having a ball. They can't help it. They're rubbing their greedy hands together—they won't have any skin left. I've got to tell you, my disdain for Mr Joyce is not a secret in this place. I had many—and you were at one of them—inquiries when he shut down the airline. Remember that magnificent piece of bastardry not only for Australian travellers but for worldwide Aussies trying to get home? They say, 'Oh we forgot about that.' He has eight other accomplices. He is ably backed up. I'm calling for this mob to resign. Joyce must lead the charge and resign, because there's no guts on that side. The Prime Minister is lacking guts. He's too busy flicking money. He's hand in hand with Mr McCormack and their mates at Rex. I'll tell you what, what about Richard Goyder, the chairman? Why should he escape scrutiny while he is on his $584,000 of Qantas's money. It's Qantas's money; it's not earned by the greedy board. It's earned by the 30,000 workers. Madam Deputy President Lines, you used to represent Qantas workers. Your great union stood up for Qantas workers for many, many years. You know the negotiations we've had. It's $584,000, and yet Mr Goyder did not make Qantas great—the workers made Qantas great—but he couldn't wait to get his claws into the till, ably backed up by, as I said, Mr Joyce. There's Maxine Brenner, with $364,000; Jacqueline Hey, with her $211,000; Belinda Hutchinson—she gets an AC; I don't know what for—with $283,000; Michael L'Estrange—another with a set of initials, AO, with $223,000. There's Todd Sampson. That's the last time I'll ever watch him on TV; what a state of hypocrisy that fellow showed. And there's Antony Tyler, Barbara Ward AM, and Paul Rayner. What a terrible situation for 2,000 families going into Christmas. (Time expired)