Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I totally refute and disagree with Senator Brown’s consideration of this matter. The motion 822 reads:

That the Senate notes the Prime Minister’s continued unprincipled attacks ...

It is the unprincipled attacks not that the Prime Minister is unprincipled, so I refute the assertion in the first instance. Secondly, could I suggest to Senator Brown that he should defend the Senate as we wish to defend the Senate. We have been attacked by the government of the day, in particular Minister Albanese and the Prime Minister in recent days, about how the Senate operates. Those attacks are totally untrue. I believe that Senator Brown should be defending the Senate rather than not supporting motions which go to that end. We certainly reject the imputation that Senator Brown has raised under standing order 193. I certainly do not believe that that matter refers to the Prime Minister as being unprincipled; rather, it refers to the attitude of the government of the day.