Senator EDWARDS (South Australia) (15:15): I rise to debate Senator Cameron's motion to take note of answers in question time today. Yes, it is all about political ideology and about everything else you want to call it! The only thing that Senator Cameron knows about making a production line more efficient is introducing a picket line. That is his experience in production. That is how he thinks we get production going in this country. He has form—and plenty of it. He comes to this place like so many others on the other side. How many on the other side have ever run a business and had an overdraft? You are a solely-owned subsidiary of the union movement. While we are talking about the union movement and its role in Qantas: I came to this place in July 2011. What was my first experience? It was the aviation inquiry. I sat on an inquiry when the CEO of Qantas grounded the airline because the unions had got hold of it. Qantas is a unionised workforce, and that is the problem. You are worried and shrill about 5,000 jobs. What about the 30,000 jobs? You are worried about foreign ownership, but, the last time I looked at the Clipsal 500 around the streets of Adelaide, Ford and Holden were owned by foreigners. Where is your problem there? Virgin Airlines is owned by foreigners. Who will take us to war if we have one? Virgin, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Emirates and Etihad will, just like they have been over the last 12 years. Get real with the Australian people. The Australian people get this. You, over the other side, 30-odd of you, are just bashing this up. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Edwards, I just need to correct you. You have to address your remarks to the chair. You cannot say 'you' across the chamber. Senator EDWARDS: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. You do actually get it— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Edwards, that is exactly what you cannot say. You cannot direct your comments to those on the other side. They must be directed to the chair. Senator EDWARDS: Mr Deputy President, I am sure that those on the other side do get it. We have been in government for six months, and the previous government was in for six years. Back then Anthony Albanese, who still serves on the front bench in opposition, was a Labor minister in 2008 and said: The new Rudd Labor government will drive an active strategy to further liberalise the aviation sector, seeking cooperation with like-minded partners. That means reform is imminent. Level playing fields—which you heard for the last few weeks. I spoke to the now Treasurer, Mr Hockey, in April of last year about the problems facing Qantas. Everybody has been aware of it; you did nothing about it, and look what we have. We have this problem which you can fix. The legislation has come in and you need to vote it through to free up the management and stop vilifying them. You need to free up the management so that they can get on with the business of running an internationally competitive airline. I want to now take you to what I believe is the fundamental problem in this argument. Back in October 2011, in the months before the grounding of that airline, an emergency Fair Work Australia hearing heard from the Federal Secretary of the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association, Mr Steve Purvinas. He was overheard, and introduced to that hearing were the words about Qantas: 'I want to bake them slowly.' More menacingly, he promised to sort out Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce and mused: 'If you live near a river, take a seat, and eventually the dead bodies of your enemies will come floating by.' Congratulations—here we are with the union movement! I am sure the TWU will have something to say to you, or they are probably already ringing your offices and telling you how you should behave on this matter. You should be looking at how you govern your union movement before you try to tell private enterprise how to run their businesses. Qantas has argued and is appealing to you over there to pass this legislation, and I urge all of you to take its advice. (Time expired)