Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I do withdraw with all sincerity. Such is the emotion of the issue and, as you rightly point out, we are on broadcast. That is the point I want to make: we are on broadcast on an issue that the Prime Minister, the government and the world are deeply involved in, yet look at the speakers list. Not one government member has come in to speak on this bill. Are they out there being clever? I would say they are out there—most of them have flown home. I would guarantee it. We ought to call a quorum on this just to see if anyone stayed behind. The point is this: they may think that they are being clever by not speaking on this issue—and this is what they will tell their electorate—so that we could get it through the parliament. Parliaments are not for that, and this issue most of all is not for that. This issue is for debate. They ought to get up and justify it, not just to us in this parliament, which is their responsibility; they ought to get up, justify it and debate it with us whilst we are on broadcast and the internet. Not one government member is on the speakers list. As a Victorian senator, I find it doubly offensive that the Victorian senators have not come into the parliament and debated this momentous issue, and it is a momentous issue.

Where is Senator Conroy, representing the Treasurer, who should be leading this debate? Where is Senator Conroy? He has gone home. I would guarantee that Senator Conroy has gone home. Where is the other Victorian senator, Senator Marshall? Senator Marshall is never short of a word, but today he is quiet—nothing.