Page 3872 - Week 10 - Thursday, 27 August 2009
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Mr Coe: What’s your definition of small business?
MR HARGREAVES: You do not know the difference, do you, sunshine? You do not. BHP it ain’t. Woolworths it ain’t, Mr Coe. I will tell you what it is not, Mr Coe. It is not a pole-dancing parlour. It is not a pole-dancing parlour, Mr Coe.
Of course, Mr Smyth, the former small business adviser to Peter Reith, would know about it. You were a small business adviser to Peter Reith. Now we see the very same attitude coming out here in this chamber tonight.
Mr Coe: Have you ever started a business?
MR HARGREAVES: You know: get in the way; get in the way of it. Mr Coe says, “Have you started a business?” Mate, you have not even got your year 12 certificate; do not come in here and talk to me about business. When you have got your drivers licence, you can come in here and talk to me.
Mr Coe: Good on you, John.
MR HARGREAVES: If you are going to go into the cut and thrust, then come prepared. Come prepared.
Mr Coe: So I haven’t started a company, okay?
MR HARGREAVES: You can bring it on, sunshine, because I am afraid you do not unsettle me and you do not faze me.
This motion by Mr Smyth is very simple. He is just trying to stop the Labor Party from accessing funds from a legitimate business. The Labor Party was formed with the express view, through its membership, to serve its membership. Nobody is forcing people to join the Labor club. Nobody is forcing people to join the club. I joined the Workers Club. Nobody forced me to do that. I joined the Labor club. No-one forced me to do that. You can join the Labor club if you want; no-one is forcing you to do it, though. I would like to see how long you would last as a member, though.
Mr Coe: You mean the democratic socialist party?
MR HARGREAVES: That is a good one. Go to the top of the class, mate, but do not take your books, because you will not be there long enough.
Madam Assistant Speaker, it is all about Mr Smyth trying to manipulate the amount of funds which may flow to a political party. That is all it really is. That is what it is. But we do not see any even-handedness. What about the 250 Club? Do we see anything about that? No. What about Mr Murphy? Did Mr Murphy decide that he had so much faith in the small business adviser to Peter Reith that he was going to bankroll him? No. Why did Jim Murphy walk? Because he did not like Reverend Smyth and his mates. That is why he walked. Are you laughing there, Mr Smyth? Stand up here and tell me I am wrong. Come on. It is all about money. He is trying to manipulate the whole of the legislative process just to—
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