Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I am very sorry about it too, Senator Barnett. In about 2003, Senator Barnett and I were giving a press conference to do with Medicare. I think Senator McLucas will recall that Medicare select committee. We were giving a press conference and the division bells rang, and because Senator Barnett was overly loquacious and had to answer the questions being asked at great length, when we finally got out of the press conference and ran to the chamber–I was faster than Senator Barnett but had to wait for him to catch up with me because he was slower than I was–we missed the division.

It may not have been a matter of great moment in ordinary circumstances, but as it happened this particular division was on the bill for the sale of Telstra. Our omission threatened the government with a $32 billion loss, and although the then Finance Minister, Senator Minchin, was quite forgiving of our tardiness and Senator Barnett's loquacious­ness, the then whip, the late Jeannie Ferris, was much less forgiving. I have never had such a fierce roasting at the hands of another politician as I had in the company of Senator Barnett that day. One day I will lift the curse on you, Senator Barnett, for inflicting the great indignity on me of being roasted by Senator Jeannie Ferris. But I know you will go on to do much greater things in your new role, and I want to finish by saying it has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve with all three of these senators.