Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is also to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I also offer my congratulations on her elevation to Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate. I refer the minister to the deliberations within the government last year concerning the sale of Telstra. Does the minister agree that the fact that all government senators supported the sale bill is proof that there is no longer any real distinguishing policy or philosophical difference between The Nationals and the Liberal Party? And, given the minister’s experience in convincing National Party senators to sell out the bush for the sale of Telstra, does she agree with the recently expressed view that, for National Party senators, the role of representing country people would most effectively be carried out as a member of the Liberal Party?