Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

‘It did,’ says the senator opposite. The government did expect to see itself fractioning. According to the senator opposite—and I am interested to hear this, because I did not know it—the government did expect that it would see the cracking of the edifice of the Howard government in response to the pressure being applied to the government ranks. What has happened is that, by being put under the enormous pressure of making decisions on matters which are hugely complex but which go to our consciences, sterling members of the government, who must be praised and deserve the very worthy representation that they have in this place, have decided that they will break with the government when it becomes excessive. We have seen an example of that today. The government and the Prime Minister tend to go too far when they get all the power, and there is a reaction from within the ranks. If you look at what is happening to the Blair government in Britain, you will see what I mean.