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

I have heard it all—a member of the Australian Labor Party talking about relevance! We have seen what happens day after day in question time, yet we have Senator Bishop standing here and giving us a lecture about relevance. What a nerve! That party has completely debased question time and refused to abide by the President. The new Leader of the Government in the Senate—whether he was the captain's pick or not; I rather suspect he was not, but he was owed so he got the job—on four occasions was asked by the President to come back to the question and the President was completely ignored. The arrogance of captain's pick Senator Carr in walking out of here today—he was given notice and he could quite easily have stayed here and said, 'I do not have that information yet but I will give it to you'—is just reflective and represents what we have seen in this country since the Australian Labor Party was elected in 2007.

When we talk about utter arrogance, we cannot go past the promise this Prime Minister made that there would never be a carbon tax under the government she led. She did indeed bring in that carbon tax—a gross act of irresponsibility and a clear deception of the Australian people who were entitled to rely on her. While we are talking about this, I will ask Senator Farrell why it took some 45 minutes into this debate for this information to be provided when Senator Carr, the representative minister, knew full well that this question would be asked. Either he is arrogant—we know he is arrogant—or his staff just do not care. It may well be a combination of the two.

What we see from a government lurching towards the election of 2013 is an example of a dysfunctional and divided government that is incapable of even meeting the proper processes and decencies that have been in place in this chamber for a long, long time. It is about time Senator Carr reflected on his behaviour. It is about time the Prime Minister reflected on her behaviour in relation to captain's picks of people who do not in any way understand or respect the principles and practices of this place. I know other colleagues want to speak on other matters so I will finish my comment on that note.

Question agreed to.