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

Thank you, Deputy President, a good ruling. What are we to make of this very below the belt performance which has been going on for months now? It comes out of Senator Abetz's office. It is one of the reasons that politics is in disrepair, as far as conservative politics is concerned, in this country—that is, it concentrates on the individual rather than the issue.

I ask: what about Mr Wood's highly celebrated donation of $2 million to the Menzies centre in the last couple of weeks? Why haven't we heard a diatribe about that? I ask: is the opposition wanting to close down on new media? I read in the paper, the same as they do, that apparently Mr Graeme Wood wants to establish an alternative media operation and they are already gunning for it. Is this because they do not believe in diversity or freedom of expression in a country where information is the currency of democracy?

They have been on a good thing for a long time, but it is breaking down around them. We are seeing a change in this country, and it is a change for the better. They had better get used to it. They had better get back to a more decent way of operating and take the issues on for what they are, not try to have this sort of nastiness against individuals who are doing this country a good turn.