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

The minister opposite used the word ‘wrecked’. What he is really pointing to is the prospect of the wreckage of government leading to a truncated process which defrauds democracy. The role of this Senate as house of review is being ripped away by the Howard government through a motion on a Wednesday morning which says that one of the most important and complex pieces of legislation ever dealt with by this Senate is not going to go through a committee process, is not going to have informed debate and is not going to be dealt with honourably. This is not an honourable process and it is not an honourable government. We Greens will oppose this motion.