Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

$1.6 million which, Senator Williams, is a record donation for a political party. But they are opposed on principle—the Greens allegedly have some principles—to corporate political donations, unless, of course, that donation is going straight into the pockets of the Australian Greens party. What about this hypocrisy? When a coalition member misses a division, we are all subjected to a missive from the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown; but, when Senator Bob Brown gets caught out doing the exact same thing, what happens? Nothing. Absolute silence. Deafening silence. That is complete, total and utter hypocrisy.

The Australian Greens protested about the standards of parliamentary behaviour by attacking the sentiments expressed by 'no carbon tax' protesters outside Parliament House. But then, during a visit by the President of the United States, they interject whilst he is addressing our parliament. Again, that is rank hypocrisy from the current government's coalition partner.

The Greens accept hundreds of thousands of dollars from construction unions, and then what do they do? They come into this place and they profess to support the abolition of the ABCC, but then Senator Bob Brown stands up and tells the people of Australia, 'But the Greens are not influenced in any way at all by political donations.'

Let us talk about the further hypocrisy of the great Australian Greens. The Greens promote themselves as being the great defenders of democracy; but, in every doorstop interview that Senator Brown has done of late, he has had to point out why we need an inquiry into the Australian media—because God forbid that a journalist in this country actually exposes the Greens for what they are. I cannot wait till I have finished because I am quite sure that one member of the party is going to jump up and defend the Australian Greens, because I have said something bad about them and we all know that in this place nobody is allowed to say anything bad about the Australian Greens.

But the Australian people are well and truly waking up to the way the Australian Greens operate. They are waking up to their gross hypocrisy, and it is clearly outlined in the statement by the Special Minister of State to the other place and now tabled in the Senate in relation to why the Commonwealth Ombudsman—the most independent office in this land—had to resign. It is because the Australian Greens colluded with the Commonwealth Ombudsman. Deception, dishonesty and duplicitous behaviour: they are the words that the Australian public are now using to describe the Australian Greens. (Time expired)