Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

For those listening to the broadcast—we in the chamber are only too well of this—we are now debating the responses to questions during question time. It is called ‘Take note of answers’. It is usually an opportunity for the opposition to properly debate and make a point about answers given by ministers. But what we have had just now from the frontbench member Senator Wong was no attempt or effort to debate the answers and no attempt or effort to put down an alternative policy—none whatsoever. She simply spent her five precious minutes on some obscure, absurd, irrelevant political point—most particularly irrelevant to those on broadcast who are listening to the so-called lofty debates of the Senate. Where have all the lofty debates of the Senate gone when you spend five minutes making some obscure, in-house, unknown-to-the-public point about so-called divisions within the government? It does not rank, Senator Wong. The sooner you use your five minutes more wisely—and indeed all of you from the other side use your time for debate in this chamber more wisely—let alone put down some sort of alternative policy, the sooner you will get your message out. Trying to talk about divisions, debates and political points within the government is not getting your own message out. But I will tell you what: even if you make those points—