Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said on Wednesday the decision by the Federal Government to scrap the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) was a win for agriculture, regional Queensland and common sense.
“Farmers and their local stock and grain transport operators will certainly welcome the decision,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Established by Federal Gillard Labor government in 2012, the RSRT has been making life very difficult for small, family-run trucking operations with its ridiculous rulings on pay rates for owner-drivers.
“The pay rulings appeared to be more about boosting union membership and union income than road safety.
“They threatened to destroy the owner-drivers who are the backbone of regional transport and getting livestock and farm produce from farmgate to processing and market.”
Ms Frecklington said the RSRT had proved a costly, Labor policy failure.
“The safety of trucks on our roads and highways needs to be left in the hands of our State transport and police departments and the national Heavy Vehicle Regulator,” she said.
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Media reports on Wednesday suggested the Federal Government was one step closer in its bid to scrap the RSRT.
The Coalition requires support from cross-bench Senators to kill off the body.
Senator John Madigan told the Financial Review he was “leaning towards” supporting the government’s Bill, while another senator, Dio Wang, said he was also inclined to back abolition.
Truck drivers are planning a protest rally in Canberra this weekend against the RSRT’s pay order, which is currently in abeyance because of legal action.
Legislation to freeze the order until next year is expected to be introduced into Federal Parliament next week.
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