Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—In recent weeks I have been detailing in the Senate matters concerning the member for Dobell and his disgraceful behaviour. I have raised concerns about him being missing in action and about being the member you have when you do not have a member. Poor petal! It appears that I have upset him. In the Central Coast Express Advocate of 19 September, Mr Thomson denies he is Dobell's absentee MP. His excuse is that his appearance at events would ruin them for organisers because of the intense media scrutiny. What a poor excuse. The fact is that he is afraid of media scrutiny. He knows the questions about his conduct are mounting and he does not want to answer those questions.

Last week we were told that he would be making a statement to the parliament. We are all still waiting. And he does have some very serious questions to answer. This is the man who has denied abusing the Salvation Army worker at the 'No pokies' tax rally at Mingara on 15 August, despite witnesses asserting the opposite. This is the man who tried to lobby a Central Coast firm to give his ex-wife a job at the same time as they were seeking federal funding for a jobs incubator. But, when things did not go his way, he got nasty and started making threats. This is also the man who set up Coastal Voice, supposedly as a community group, the principal activity being a volunteer aged-care hotline. In reality, it was just a front to get him preselected and the Health Services Union picked up the tab. This is the man who subsequently lied about quitting from Coastal Voice, when the New South Wales Fair Trading records—