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

I thank the Senate. The motion we have just dealt with is one aimed at a particular senator—in this case, Senator Rhiannon—and we are seeing a number of these motions which are aimed at the person rather than at a relevant contemporary debate. We do not resile from any of our backgrounds. If you want to discuss my Presbyterianism, I am happy to discuss it. If you want to discuss Senator Rhiannon's connections with communists past, she is happy to discuss that. The motion seems to come from the first line of the first platform of the first Greens party in Australia, which is that of the Sydney Greens dated 15 October 1984 and says:

The Greens in Sydney come from many backgrounds. Environmental and resident activists. Nuclear disarmers. Dissidents from the Labor Party who have witnessed betrayals by both wings of that party. Feminists. Anarchists. Those inspired by the German Greens. Socialists of various kinds.

Senator Bernardi, who was just so recently wanting to help Islamophobic builders come from Holland to Australia, has little to talk about in these matters—