Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Hansard source

As the Leader of the House comes into the chamber, I will ask him to explain himself in relation to the last remark I made, which may have dented his credentials in the eyes of his colleagues!

To the Senate leadership team, I pass on my thanks and Christmas greetings to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Chris Evans, and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Stephen Conroy. In Stephen’s case in particular, he and his wife, Paula, have experienced wonderful joy in recent times with the birth of their beautiful baby, Isabella.

The Chief Opposition Whip, Roger Price, acts for us as—shall I say—pastor-general of the parliamentary Labor Party. Those of us on this side of the show who are in pain, trouble and torment or have particular joys to share beat a path to Roger’s office. He is a first-class whip. He is a no-nonsense whip but a person of great humanity and compassion and a person who knows how to deal with some of the difficulties in this place and keeps a great supply of Scotch in his office.

The Prime Minister referred to members of his own party organisation, including Mr Loughnane. In fact, I ran into him at a restaurant last night.

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