Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Brown foolishly interjects, and of course whenever anybody interjects on Senator Brown, what does he do? He puts out his hands, Messiah-like, and says, 'Chair, will you protect me from these interjections?' This is the sort of Pecksniffian attitude we get from Senator Brown day after day after day in this place, and we are getting sick and tired of it.

It is the accepted practice in this place that we do not have to divulge matters that may be of a personal nature or, indeed, the nature of ministerial business. Much as we on the opposition would like to know the detail of it, we believe that it is inappropriate to make those sorts of inquiries of each other. If the Greens were ever to be in a position to require leave of absence—and I am sure that it has occurred in the past—we do not go inquiring into that sort of detail.

But the real reason that Senator Brown is now trying to make an issue out of this is that he knows that later on today he will be voting with the ALP to give himself and the Australian Greens not just one day's leave of absence, but the whole nine Greens will get leave of absence for a full three days. It was a good try, Senator Brown, but we have seen through the ruse, and now let us get on with the business of the Senate.