Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

So here we have the squeaky-clean Australian Greens saying that we have to vote for this motion because Senator Nash has allegedly misled the parliament. Excuse me! Senator Milne has misled the parliament during the debate by asserting she knew nothing about the motion for which she is recorded as voting against. It was not only Senator Milne. Every single one of the Greens senators came rushing in to defend Senator Bob Carr over an open and shut case in relation to a breach of ministerial ethics. Way back at law school I remember the line we were taught: he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. So one would hope those who claim that there has been some breach of some parliamentary standards are the upholders of the very highest standard.

The first allegation is 'misleading the Senate'. I wonder who might have misled the Senate about the emissions trading scheme and its consequences? I wonder who that might have been? Not Senator Wong, surely! Or how about the carbon tax: there will be no carbon tax. That wouldn't have been Senator Wong, would it? No! And what about the deficit that was left behind and the budget blow-outs as finance minister? No—no misleading of the Senate there! And what about the vote protecting Senator Bob Carr?