Road safety close to senator's heart

A Labor senator whose partner died in a road accident almost 20 years ago has lamented the political brawl over a road safety tribunal.

Parliament on Monday abolished the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal - a creation of the Gillard government - after owner-driver truckies campaigned against its decision to impose minimum pay rates.

"It affects my life every day," former ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher told reporters as she reflected on the death of her then-fiance Brett Seaman, who was hit by a car while cycling in 1997.

Owner-driver truckies have been up in arms over the tribunal's ruling with many complaining they have lost work because it had made them too expensive to hire.

The Transport Workers Union has erected hundreds of crosses on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra to represent the 2500 people killed in truck crashes in the past decade.

"When I see crosses on lawns, it matters and it matters to people who have lost family ... friends, colleagues," Senator Gallagher said.

Liberal frontbencher Anne Ruston told reporters it was unconscionable that the union and Labor were using road safety to prosecute their argument for the tribunal.

She pointed out that 83 per cent of truck crashes were the fault of other vehicles on the roads.

Employed truck drivers, rather than owner-drivers, had more crashes, Senator Ruston said.

Opposition workplace relations spokesman Brendan O'Connor warned the decision to abolish the tribunal would cause more road deaths.

He intends to spend Tuesday talking with widows and family members of truckers who have died while working.

"Malcolm Turnbull will rue this day that he has done this in such an expedient, arrogant, rash and disproportionate manner," he told reporters.

Mr O'Connor and shadow treasurer Chris Bowen stopped short of promising Labor would reinstate the tribunal.