Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The motion that we have in front of us is a motion that will deny people from even having their case heard, and I do not know what reasons the Leader of the House could have not to want members on his side of the House to be heard.

Certainly, members on this side of House want the chance to be able to hold this government to account, want the chance to be able to put our side of the case and want the chance to be able to argue what all the expert advice packs in and what I have very little doubt the incoming government brief that the Minister for the Environment wants to hide—what that might have been able to reflect on. The culture of secrecy which is pervading and which has reached the floor of this parliament is there for one very simple reason, because if you are confident of your arguments you do not need to shut debate down. If you are confident of your arguments you do not need to gag everyone at every chance you get. If you are confident of your arguments then you do not find a circumstance where you get the Leader of the House walking in with a resolution like this. And if you are confident of your arguments and you are running an orderly government you do not end up with a resolution that at its heart has the chaotic concept that contradictory amendments would be voted on together.

In the history of this parliament no-one has ever previously floated that contradictory amendments would be voted on at the same moment. This is the first time we have seen it, but it is not the first time we have seen that Leader of the House try to shut down the debate. This parliament should resist—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

You would move that I no longer be heard, probably!

This resolution should be rejected, and members of parliament certainly, if there is any meaning to democracy in this chamber, should at the very least be given the opportunity to put their views.

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