Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have just witnessed the coalition gag debate on the Food Importation (Bovine Meat Standards) Bill 2010 and then Senator Joyce comes in and speaks for 15 minutes—what I would describe as 14½ minutes of drivel and about 30 seconds of common sense. He was a bit het up. He described the disease as ‘bungee spovine’ or something or other at the start, then he rambled over a number of issues as to a bill that the coalition just gagged debate on and then he had the gall to talk about the minister having ego. If ever there was a performance about ego, it was that drivel just delivered by Senator Joyce. It was probably because he is not allowed to speak about anything else; he is not allowed to speak about his portfolio. He has been gagged by the leader of the coalition because he blunders so often in that area. We will be voting against this bill because the bill is about as logical and about as well written as Senator Joyce’s last speech. We will not be voting for it.