Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. I did listen intently to Senator Mason's contribution. Even though I did wish he would hurry up so I could have a go. Thank you, Senator Mason.

I rise too to make my contribution. The responses to the legislation announced by Minister Conroy yesterday from sections of the media, I have to tell you, were absolutely gobsmacking. It would be irresponsible of me to not refer to the front page of yesterday's Daily Telegraph before I go into the context of the bill.

I am absolutely disgusted that those at the Daily Telegraph can actually think that it is intelligent journalism to compare Senator Conroy, our esteemed Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, to absolute despots. There are a number of despots in our sad history but when I saw that horrible head of Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, I was sickened. Whoever thought this was a great idea at the Daily Telegraph is an absolute disgrace.

I have to tell you, as chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Australia and Israel and as someone who has been to Israel three times, I am trying to watch my tongue, because there are a number of words I could use about this. I think I would be within my rights to compare certain parts of the anatomy to the low-life at the Daily Telegraph who thought he or she or whoever it may be—