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

by leave—What arrant hypocrisy we are seeing from the big parties in this chamber right now! They have just put forward motions congratulating the people of Poland, quite rightly—and we supported them—for taking off the yoke of jackboot communism and for finding their freedom and their democracy. The government motion congratulated the people of Poland for their courageous struggle. The opposition motion acknowledged Poland’s tremendous contribution to the fall of communism in Europe and noted its democratic achievements, particularly that the people of Poland resolutely voted to restore their senate and reinstate the accountability and transparency of their government.

But, when it comes to taking on Chinese jackboot communism, suppression of democrats and the massacre of peaceful citizens in China aspiring for exactly the same thing that the Poles achieved 20 years ago, this government and this opposition resile from it, back off from it, will not stand up for it, sell out on it and use double standards that they should be ashamed of. How dare the government and the opposition put up this double standard in this place! How dare they turn their backs on the democrats currently jailed or in labour camps—those that are lucky enough to still be alive—in China! What a rotten response to the responsibility that the government and the opposition should be upholding here today! Democracy, freedom—they have no boundary. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Bob Brown’s) be agreed to.