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

The shadow minister’s shadow has a decision to make here. The legislation was brought in with totally inadequate time for the parliament to deal with it. Senator Siewert has diligently come up with recommendations to make it better. Senator O’Brien says he cannot handle that and he will vote against them, but he has as much responsibility in voting against those amendments and passing up the opportunity as he does in voting with the government for the government legislation. He cannot duck out of it as easily as that. Senator Siewert has done a remarkable job here—quite astounding, considering that she was also handling the Northern Territory legislation for the Greens. She has been up burning the midnight oil. She is smart; she is intelligent; and she knows this topic.