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

The government's proceeding right now to do something really dumb and they're trying to do something really dumb because the Prime Minister's decided that he wants a fight rather than an outcome. All that this House is asking for is a chance to be able to read legislation before we vote on it. All that this House is asking for is the opportunity—and, look, he wanders off now; let's not forget this is the same Prime Minister who's done it before. He's got form on this. Those of you who've been here for a couple of terms remember this Prime Minister coming in here with Treasury bills when there weren't enough copies here, when nobody knew what they were voting on and it was all meant to go through that night. He'd struck a deal with the Senate and he cared about his negotiation in the Senate but treated every member of this House with absolute contempt, and that's what's happening right now.

Right now the suspension of standing orders that's been put in front is one which the government cannot carry on their own numbers, so I say to the crossbench: think about this seriously. Because if you want your vote to be treated with contempt, you've got the opportunity to be treated with contempt because that's what this government is doing with this motion right now.

Most people when they come to this place have some view and have been involved in discussions beforehand.

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