Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Again, having listened carefully to Senator Ryan, I would be urging the Senate to support the amendment proposed. I would ask the minister if she could address Senator Ryan's question about how—we were told this a little while ago—the ATO was incapable of providing information and yet in this instance it seems to be pretty easy.

I have not heard a lot from the Greens political party in relation to this particular bill and the amendments being proposed by the coalition. I would have hoped that the Greens political party, having portrayed themselves as the 'keeping the other lot honest' group within parliament, and always indicating how keen they are on the proper operation of the electoral laws, would be giving us the benefit of their 'wisdom' on these amendments. Perhaps it is because the Greens do not come with clean hands.

I have referred to GetUp! before as foot soldiers for the Greens political party, much to the denial by the Greens political party that GetUp! is anything more than an independent community group. I think those of us who have ever dealt with GetUp! understand that it is really an element of the Greens political party. In fact, I remember at the last election in Townsville members of GetUp! were walking along the lines of people waiting to vote and illegally handing out Greens propaganda material. They were inside the gate. The Greens certainly take advantage of GetUp! and their supposed independence. Of course, that supposed independence cover was blown the other day when the former head of GetUp!, who I understand is now running as a Greens candidate in the ACT, published a flyer saying, 'Come along to the GetUp! Function to support our Greens candidate running for election.' I would be interested in the Greens' contribution to this debate on how those sorts of things could possibly happen. I suggest this shows the Greens political party do not come with clean hands when it comes to electoral matters. I think that incident in Canberra supports that, but I support the amendment.