Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think I had referred my remarks through you but I will continue to do so and perhaps repeat what I said through you, Madam Acting Deputy President. What a despicable performance we have seen from Senator Brown tonight who has called the Clerk of the Senate biased. That is what Senator Brown has done tonight. I would have thought—

Senator Bushby interjecting—

It should be referred to the President; you are right, Senator Bushby. In fact, I will ask you to refer that to the President, Madam Acting Deputy President. But I will go on. It is remarkable to me that Senator Brown did not even have the guts to give the Clerk notice that he would be making these outrageous comments tonight. I think the comments themselves are despicable. Now he has slinked out. The fact that he has not even given the Clerk the opportunity to be here and hear those comments, I think, is lower than low. He has gone and he will not return, and I cannot believe that the deputy leader of the Greens, Senator Milne, is prepared to accept that what her boss has just done is appropriate. She has got her head buried down as she would because she is embarrassed. Senator Ludlam is embarrassed, and every one of the Greens on that side is absolutely embarrassed about their behaviour.