Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is very difficult to follow Senator Polley in this chamber, particularly after that contribution, because it was like a random walk through an individual's thought bubbles. There were very few joining words or coherent linkages between one random thought bubble and another. They dealt with Senator Fifield, who of course was an outstanding minister for disability services, and no-one has disputed that in this place—

Senator Polley interjecting—

except for Senator Polley, of course, who was saying how terrible he was. But the whole disability network were full of praise for him. They were effusive in their praise for Senator Fifield in that capacity. Senator Fifield is now taking that same rigor, that same discipline, into the communications portfolio. That is what has those on the other side so upset. Senator Polley is mortified that someone is going to do a better job than her hero, Senator Conroy. We know that, for a long time, Senator Polley has been a great admirer of Senator Conroy, but he was an abject disaster in the portfolio of communications. We know he had a penchant, if you will, for skiing—we knew that—and for hobnobbing with the big end of town, but that is not what we do. We get down to doing the tough work, the hard yards. We do not do our costings on a coaster in a private jet flying to the ski fields of Aspen.