Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (15:11): There is a saying: only one van comes along in your lifetime. But I have to say: seriously, Senator Van? You want to have a real good look at yourself and get a grip when you start accusing us on this side of never running businesses and being union thugs and union hacks. I'm going to give you a little bit of history. For your information, I grew up working class as the son of a truck driver. I'm now the father of a truck driver, and I was a long-distance truck driver myself. Nothing hurts me more than when ill-informed ignoramuses make stupid statements like this. Don't leave, Senator Van. Don't leave. I want— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: A point of order, Senator Van? Senator Van: I believe that was a reflection on me, and I also noted another one from Senator Ayres earlier. I ask that both senators withdraw them. Senator Henderson interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Is this another point of order? Let me deal with the first point of order. Senator Henderson interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: This is not a debate, Senator Henderson. Senator Van, who is the second senator that you have taken issue with? Senator Van: Senator Ayres. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I didn't hear what Senator Ayres said. Senator Ayres, do you wish to withdraw? Senator Ayres: Deputy President, there is so much sensitivity over there— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Don't debate it. Either withdraw it— Senator Ayres: If you're asking me to withdraw, I'm very happy to withdraw. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you. I'll take the withdrawal. I think Senator Sterle was referring generally to Liberals, but I would ask him, to the extent that he may have referred directly to Senator Van, to graciously withdraw. Senator STERLE: Deputy President, to assist with your running of the chamber, I am more than happy to, but I will not resile from the fact that— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I have asked you to withdraw. Senator STERLE: I have withdrawn, but I will not resile from the fact that I take umbrage. You're now walking out of the chamber, you weak link! To have a crack at me as a union thug— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, you shouldn't reflect on whether a senator is leaving the chamber or not. I ask you to withdraw to that extent and then proceed with your contribution. Senator Van: I'll debate you any time. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Van, that was inappropriate as well. You go back to your chair and withdraw that. Senator Van: I happily withdraw, Deputy President. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Okay. Are we all ready to go? Senator Sterle? Senator STERLE: It's all good, Deputy President. Thank you very much. But I just want to stress this—through you— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Don't disappoint me, because I was— Senator STERLE: I'm all cool. I'm having a ball. I actually ran my own business. This is what irks me when I hear ideology and ridiculous statements from people who have no idea of the background of others in this chamber. I, for one, can talk with the authority. I left school early. I ran my own business. My wife and I put our necks on the line with one month's payment and a house to hock everything we had to buy our first truck. Six trucks later and I'm proud as punch that we did that. I couldn't have done it without my wife, and I couldn't have done it without the drive that I had. To be accused of not knowing business really gets up my nose. Senator Van, in the first speech to this motion, came out and said that this is all about ideology. He said it has nothing to do with providing an opportunity for lower paid workers to get a decent pay packet and negotiate decent contracts. This is what really, really annoys me—I speak to this from authority—when we look at the likes of the bed wetters and the ones who are running around this country screaming out that the last thing that we should be doing is pushing to change industrial relations laws so that those who can't bargain collectively could actually have a chance to increase their pay packet and their working conditions. And who is this charge led by? It is the usual suspects, starting with ACCI. I'd be so sad if ACCI went missing because I'd think something had gone wrong and that they actually had some brains in that outfit. The Business Council of Australia is another, as is AMMA—if AMMA didn't start the fight, there's really something going on. Guess who started the fight? AMMA. And guess who else bought into it? None other than Mr Alan Joyce and Qantas. Senator Sheldon, you've got a massive pair of shoes to fill. I can't fill them when you're talking about how bad an employer Qantas has become under Mr Joyce's tenure, but I'll give it a good shoot. Here we have a man who has his footprints etched into the blue carpet in this joint. He ran to the previous government's ministers, seeking support to give him money to give to his employees. Was it Work Choices?—I'm having a real nightmare today! It was through JobKeeper. That was nearly a billion dollars, and what did it deliver? I'll tell you what it delivered: it kept Mr Alan Joyce and Qantas going—ably backed by Mr Richard Goyder AO, with his $560,000 sitting fee and God knows whatever else as the chairman, so he could go out in the middle of the night and sack nearly 2,000 baggage handlers. Then I read in the paper today not only the fine comments from my colleague and mate over here to my right, Senator Sheldon, but that Qantas have to upgrade their profit margin now. We've only been out of COVID for seven or eight months or something, but they made a mistake: they have to up it by another $150 million. While Qantas are gouging the travellers of this nation, they're now saying that they're back in the red—anywhere between $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion. I say to everyone in Australia: who thinks that Mr Alan Joyce has run a magnificent business since he's been in charge? I can tell you now—and I look at my colleagues around this chamber from all sides—that we spent more time on his planes than anyone. I had no problem for many, many years as a Transport Workers Union organiser, after I sold my truck and after doing two years nonstop in Darwin, with two babies at home that I never got to see. I missed my daughter first walking and talking, and I wasn't going to miss more time with my six-year-old son. So I came off the road. The TWU gave me an opportunity because—guess what?—I actually know things about trucks, I actually can put two words together and I actually can talk to employers and employees. I want nothing more than employers and employees working together to deliver magnificent outcomes for both. Without a successful business, you don't have the opportunity to provide an appropriate wage for your employees, who I was so proud to have join me in my union so that we could collectively bargain. I have the greatest of respect for them, but I have absolutely no respect for Alan Joyce. If you fly in this nation, you could be gouged, lose your baggage or be lied to whilst you're sitting on the tarmac. And then they're blaming baggage handlers, an explanation which I copped this morning, and there wasn't even any baggage being put on. This is what really irks me.