Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I want to return to the amendment before the chamber. I cannot understand the government’s position. They keep telling us they want to get this bill through and yet they bring in the ‘zombies’—to use Senator Cameron’s words, not mine, of course—to read 15-minute speeches that have nothing to do with the amendment before the chamber. I wanted to ask the mover of the amendment some questions but neither he nor the minister are here. The Greens and the Labor Party are treating this as an absolute farce. We are here to ask Senator Ludlam questions about his amendment and he did not even bother to turn up. He has not even been here. How serious can the Greens be with their amendments when they are not here to listen to what people say or to answer questions—no Green, no minister—what a farce.

Progress reported.