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

by leave—This issue has of course arisen time and time again in the parliament and sometimes inadvertently—and once many years ago I was one of them—when we do not make it to the chamber for one reason or another. However, this does show the opposition is in some disarray. It was absolutely known that this critical vote would be on this afternoon. It is a commentary on the opposition and the internal cohesion of the opposition that a senator could miss such a vital vote. It has been known since question time that this vote would be coming up at about this hour and it was an absolutely crucial vote and that it would be very close. The Senate does the right thing here, unlike many other parliaments, to make sure that the will of the elected representatives is correctly reflected. But I have to say that there have been a couple of such times since the coalition came into the Senate as the opposition. It may be a commentary on the fact that it spent too long predominant in the Senate, not having to care about procedure. My only advice to the opposition is you need to get yourself in order—