Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, what we have heard today from the Labor Party has a very apt name. We hear them all the time; we hear them at solemn occasions. They are called eulogies. We have heard a number of eulogies because it is all over; it is all finished. It is goodbye to the government. It is goodbye to sanity. It will be hello chaos at 4.30.

And why did we do this? Where is Mr Paul Howes now? We better find out. We better go and find out what he wants to do. We better find out from him where he wants to take this nation. We better talk to the Greens about where this nation goes next. We better find out what would make Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor happy again. They were happy with chaos and they are obviously getting unhappy that we might fix it up.

What is the next lot of chaos going to be—the NBN? Was it the ceiling insulation, green loans, debt, deficit, carbon tax, mining tax or live cattle trade that brought this nation to its knees under this chaotic and hopeless government? Well, it was the fact that they tried to join together three pieces of an incredible puzzle. How on earth did the Labor Party allow themselves to get hooked up with the Independents, hooked up with the Greens and hooked up with this chaos? How on earth did they let themselves get to a position where they dispensed with their first Prime Minister? How on earth did we get to this position right now? This might be the last time that I ever speak in this chamber, but it is a disgrace and our nation deserves better than this. Our nation deserves so much better than this, and I hope that, whatever you do at 4.30 pm, you give some dignity back to this nation. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—