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

Mr President, what a pathetic effort that was. I thought we would hear some defence of this motion from Senator Abetz that had some cogency and relevance to the proceedings of this Senate but, of course, it had none. The first thing that needs to be said here, Sir—and you will agree with this—is that the chair is not beyond criticism and the Senate prevails.

What Senator Abetz is trying to do here is say to this great Senate—after 110 years of its history—that it should be nobbled in taking on the chair. The opposition would, wouldn't they. They would want the jackboot to be brought into the Senate. That reflects the fact that the Senate is probably at the lowest ebb of behaviour and control that it has been in those 110 years, under this chair, with this rabble of an opposition—