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

Can I debunk one proposition in the honourable senator's question? The coalition has a very proud history of allowing its parliamentarians to cross the floor in the event that they disagree with government policy, and indeed I look around and see quite a few takers who have availed themselves of that opportunity, including me. I have done that. And, indeed, when I found it impossible to agree with opposition policy at the time, whilst on the frontbench, I realised that, if I wanted to exercise my conscience, there was a price attached to it and I resigned from the frontbench to allow myself to act according to my conscience. We in the coalition allow our members and senators to have that freedom at all times, unlike the Australian Labor Party, which will automatically expel people who cross the floor—and, indeed, as I think Senator Canavan said earlier in a contribution today, have the Australian Greens ever split on a vote—