Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

He is suggesting he is not part of this. I accept your word, Senator. But it is quite clear that, if you were to come to a Senate committee hearing chaired by Senator Williams or Senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells or Senator Macdonald, you would see quite a malicious attempt to gag senators. Senator Eggleston even tried it on as well, but, to his credit, Senator Fawcett said, 'No, Senate estimates is for the opposition.' So he could not even muster his own bench—he could not even muster his own supporters. I promised the manager I would be short. But let us be clear: it is an orchestrated campaign that has taken place from those on that side. If you refuse to be part of it, I congratulate you, Senator Back, but your other chairs are all going along with it. It is opposition and minor-party time in Senate estimates. We will be using the spillover days, and we will not be agreeing to the times that are being forced upon us by majority diktat of the government in the future.