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

Senator O’Brien, of course, very diligent! That is what we got. That was the Governor-General’s speech. There was nothing but rhetoric going in circles. It epitomises and sets the pattern of this government. Look at today’s agenda. We have got two weeks of parliament. We are not sitting in December at all. It is the first time I have ever known parliament not to sit in December. This is a government that has ground to a halt. Look at today’s agenda. We have got three bills on it, all noncontroversial. Thank goodness for the Greens’ minutiae and petty questions on what is a terrorist organisation. However, it was padded out for the government for hours and hours; if it had not been for that we would be on this discussion a lot earlier. You have got three noncontroversial bills.

I was outside before and I had to rush back in to see what tomorrow will bring. You are reintroducing noncontroversial bills. This side is not even against them. This is your agenda for 2010—you do not have one. This is going to be a long week for the government, and it is going to be a long two weeks if this is what you are putting up.

Nothing much is happening down in the House of Representatives either. You want to take heed of some of your wise counsel—though I do not know whether you would call them that. Former Senator Richardson used to be in this chamber and I remember him well. I was going to say I used to serve with him—well, combat with him—and he was a fearsome warrior. You know that yourself, on your own side. He has killed plenty off on your side. He came out last week and said, ‘Get an agenda.’ Richo was always one for advice. But he is right: get an agenda, Prime Minister Gillard. You have not got one today. This address-in-reply to the Governor-General was not even on the red. I do not think that it has been on the red all week; it has just been sitting in reserve. Certainly it was not in today. You have rushed it in today. Richo said, ‘Get an agenda.’