Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, there are two matters now for consideration, as you have just outlined. The first is my repeated refusal to withdraw, which is based on my belief that you made a false ruling at the outset of this matter by acceding to persistent opposition claims that I had made an objectionable statement in the Senate, when in fact I had not. I am happy to comply with your persistent ruling, but I would ask that you go back to the original words that you ruled, at the behest of repeated appeals from the opposition in this place, to be objectionable, and come back with a ruling to the Senate after consideration on that very matter.