Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Heffernan suggests I am a troublemaker. I suggest that, if I am, it is certainly a case of the pot calling the kettle black, and Senator Heffernan’s reputation precedes him in that regard. In terms of the jealousies between the two parties, I am not surprised that, given the allocation of the portfolio to Mr McGauran, the conservative side of this chamber wants to protect him from an inquiry, knowing the lack of competence that exists in the portfolio. Even his brother, Senator Julian McGauran, had the decency to leave the National Party, noting that it was irrelevant. Of course, if Mr McGauran were to leave the National Party, there is no way he would be a minister, let alone the minister for agriculture, within the Liberal Party. There is no way that the Liberal Party would allocate the portfolio to him. There is no way that he would even be a parliamentary secretary. Senator Heffernan knows that very well, and I bet that is exactly what he is saying to his rural constituency as he goes around. That is another subject. One day we will have a debate about Senator Heffernan’s role in undermining the National Party in seats in New South Wales, and it will be a very interesting debate, but it is not the debate for today. I fully realise that. According to Mr Brennan, there are substantial flaws—