Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy President. Could I congratulate you on your election as Deputy President. I look forward to working with you in that position. I just find this absolutely amazing. For the last few weeks we have had the coalition saying that the economy was on the brink of destruction because of a carbon price yet when they have an opportunity to actually raise these issues on the floor of parliament what do they do? They run and attack the Greens. They run and attack Senator Bob Brown. It just shows you how disingenuous this lot are. The important things for Australians now are to get a price on carbon, to make sure that households are assisted and to make sure that our industry is ready for the future. But what do we get from Senator Abetz? We get this vindictive hate campaign against Senator Brown. It is well known that you have this campaign going against Senator Brown. You come here to run these arguments. If there are any issues of misappropriation or wrong­doing then you should go to the appropriate authorities. This place should be dealing with the real issues, the important issues for Australians, and those are to ensure that we get a price on carbon and position this country for the future.

I find it absolutely hypocritical for the coalition and the Liberal Party, of any party, to talk about shelf companies and some problems in relation to funding. It does not take very long to find out some of the issues that the Liberal Party have been involved in over the years. Maybe they can explain to us what happened with Gerard Industries in South Australia with a shelf company in Hong Kong feeding money to the Liberal Party. Maybe, Senator Bernardi, you want to explain that if we want to talk about propriety in relation to elections. Maybe you want to talk about Gerard Industries and Hong Kong shelf companies. That might bring some light into the chamber.

Maybe Senator Abetz might want to talk about the payment by the Liberal Party for advertising for the Exclusive Brethren in Tasmania. We do not hear much about that, but it was reported in the press that the Liberal Party had bills sent to them for advertising to attack transgender Australians. That is what it was about: a minority group, the Liberal Party attacking them, the Liberal Party getting the bill and who paying the bill? The bill was paid by the Exclusive Brethren in Tasmania. So the hypocrisy just pours out of the Liberal Party when it comes to issues of getting funding outside of the appropriate process.

I tell you now: we did not hear much said about the Liberal Party taking money from big tobacco. You would put your electoral position before the health of Australians, so do not come here lecturing anybody about the implications of front companies for donations when you guys are prepared to take millions of dollars off of big tobacco—when it is clear that you are up to your neck in front companies. It is quite interesting. When they are doing the bidding of the Exclusive Brethren in Tasmania and Gerard Industries are the front company for the Liberal Party in Hong Kong, it is pretty rich for them to come here and talk about donations to any other party. It really is the pot calling the kettle black. I bet that in the future you will see how much money the mining industry has poured into the Liberal Party to oppose climate change in this country. You are hypocrites. You are a rabble. (Time expired)