Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I am making a short statement. I am drawing the attention of the Senate to the manner and the circumstances that surround the appalling behaviour of the opposition in this matter. What we have here is a budget measure which has the effect of raising some $550 million—over half a billion dollars—worth of revenue and we have a proposal by the opposition to knock over that measure. We have had the second reading vote, and by their misadventure the vote failed to deliver the result that they were anticipating. They have then sought to get the vote recommitted. They have tried to do it at this time of night. They have tried in the middle of the night to move a proposal. We all understand the normal procedure of the Senate, and senators who may well have left this building will not be aware of the circumstances that surround the recommittal.

The opposition are now seeking to recommit to a vote this measure to take $550 million from the government’s surplus. Five hundred and fifty million dollars is what this vote is all about. We should not ever move away from that basic proposition. We have a situation where the opposition is now seeking to cut tax on luxury cars for wealthy people rather than provide interest rate cuts for working families. That is what this debate is really all about. It is not some procedural, simplistic matter of a senator failing to fulfil their obligations. It is a fundamental measure about the opposition seeking at this hour—well after the proper conclusion of government business—to move a recommittal of the vote, with the effect of removing $550 million from the surplus. This is an opposition that is seeking to blow a hole in the budget of $550 million.

We have a simple proposition: that this matter ought to be recommitted in due time, when senators have an opportunity to cast their vote properly. That time is tomorrow, and that is to give people notice that this matter is being recommitted to a vote. The votes of the Senate would normally have been concluded by 6.50, on any reasonable reading of the standing orders. Senators may well have left the building. Senators are entitled to leave the building under the normal operation of the standing orders. But what you are trying to do, at 7.15 this evening, is to recommit to a vote a measure to take $550 million out of the budget and to do so as a result of your poor organisation.

Senator Abetz, as we know, is taking control of the tactics committee. We all understand that Senator Minchin has failed in his responsibilities in terms of his leadership of the opposition. We have seen the circumstances of question time today, where you cannot even ask questions of the right minister. You are so badly organised. You are so incompetent. You are such a bunch of dilettantes that you cannot even organise your raid on the budget properly. You have to do it in the middle of the night. This is your game. Your game is to essentially—