Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have heard some quite remarkable speeches from Senator Conroy, but today’s was an absolute doozy: dripping in insincerity. There are some on this side who do not like Senator Conroy; I think he is sometimes so silly and so insincere that he is almost lovable. That was a speech which, I am sure, he will have no pride in re-reading. In fact, I rather suspect that he will not re-read it, because he does not believe one single word of it.

I think what is quite clear today is that this is not a matter about payphones. Senator Wortley admitted it and let the cat out of the bag: this debate is about the privatisation of Telstra. It comes from an opposition that is desperately trying to claw back some public goodwill. The most remarkable part of today was that it was led by someone who is spending not one single minute in regional and rural Australia. He has spent every waking hour rolling candidates from the Left in Victoria.