Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in this debate and to once again state absolutely clearly, so that it will even penetrate between the ears of Senator Joyce, that the Labor Party is supporting the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Democratic Plebiscites) Bill 2007. Indeed, the Labor Party leader, Mr Rudd, was on the record well before the Prime Minister to state that there should be plebiscites in Queensland on local government amalgamations. Let us cut to the chase: Senator Joyce has just outlined precisely why this legislation was introduced. It has nothing to do with upholding or restoring the democratic rights of Queenslanders. Let us remember that Senator Joyce comes from the party of the late Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who rode straight over the top of democratic rights in Queensland.

During the inquiry into this bill we were told about the thousands of people who marched in the streets to oppose the Queensland state government’s legislation, and I applaud them for marching. But do not forget that when Senator Joyce’s party was in power, if three of those people decided to get together on a street corner they would have been arrested and thrown into jail for talking to each other. So do not come in here and talk to us about restoring democracy and electoral integrity. This is the party that presided over the greatest gerrymander probably in the history of the world—other than perhaps in Boston back in the great Tammany Hall days. You presided over the biggest gerrymander that ever existed in Australia. Do not lecture us about democratic rights or electoral reform.

In all of Senator Joyce’s 20-minute speech, I do not recall him actually once mentioning the bill. I do not recall him on one occasion actually speaking to this piece of legislation, which is what this three-day inquiry was about.