Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will speak very briefly because I intend to make most of my remarks in relation to the motion I also have on this matter. I will make just a few points in response to Senator Cormann and to Senator Milne. Direct Action is a slogan, but it is a slogan that as yet has not been exposed as the fraud it is, and we need to ensure that it is exposed as the fraud that it is in the context of the proposed repeal of this legislation.

The second point I make is that in order to do that we are going to have to do more than lecture people and we are going to have to do more than talk to people who already agree with us. We are going to have to methodically go through what the alternative policy is that the government is putting forward. It was interesting that when Senator Milne was making her contribution she said why she opposed the opposition's motion. I was interested to hear over on this side all of the coalition members saying, 'Good on you.' On the issue of whether or not the bill should actually be the subject of a proper inquiry, it appears that the government is at one with the Australian Greens, and that is probably indicative of what the government's view is of the strategy. But I will leave most of my remarks to the motion that I have before the chair subsequently.