Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am disappointed that there are currently so few senators from the government in the chamber because I consider it to be an absolute indictment on this government that we are considering something as significant as this disallowance motion at the 11th hour on the last day of sitting. It is yet another disgraceful example of the government taking their hands off the wheel and not managing the business that is before this Senate that we are now dealing with this matter.

I draw the chamber’s attention to the fact that it was the government that changed the order of the business yesterday and today. It is the government that wished to gag this Senate chamber and ram through the telecommunications legislation. Such was their intent to do so that they forgot—and, I repeat, they forgot—that there was a disallowance motion on the table that needed to be addressed today.