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

I am not getting personal, Senator Abetz. I am just stating that you are so ineffective in this place and the opposition are therefore so ineffective in this place. We will see how effective you are very shortly when this matter comes to a determination. The Greens believe not only that the time has come for determination after nearly two years of this debate but that we need to move on to the other great issues of the nation. We need to put through a national disability insurance scheme, which the opposition cannot fund because they have got a $70 billion black hole. We need to move on to national dental health care, which the opposition cannot fund because they have got a $70 billion black hole. We need to move on to funding education as recommended by the Gonski report for the public sector as well as poorer private schools. The opposition have a $70 billion black hole and cannot do that and, in fact, want to take $2.8 billion out of education.