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

Mr President, I will direct this remark to you: how humiliating that the Australian Greens are being defended by Senator Canavan. Senator Canavan's views on almost every issue are diametrically opposed to the Greens and he heckles them at every turn when they ask questions in question time and when they speak. Senator Canavan now, because they have done a deal with the government, is springing to the defence of the Australian Greens. How humiliating: the National Party having to defend the Australian Greens because they have done a deal.

Senator Siewert interjecting—

Senator Siewert says, 'This is only an hour's motion.' This is not just an hour's motion; this is the delivery of the deal. This is a motion which ensures we first debate the tax legislation that you have done a deal on. So this hour's motion is intrinsically tied up with a deal that was done in the dead of night by Senator Richard Di Natale and which was pushed through his party room this morning. They were out there backgrounding on it, but no amount of backgrounding will change this fact: the Australian Greens will vote for less tax transparency in this country—end of story. The Australian Greens will change position and ensure that the tax transparency that this Senate was insisting on will be diminished. Who will lose out and who will win out of that? Taxpayers lose out and companies earning over $100 million will win. The Australian Greens are on the side of companies earning between $100 million and $200 million. What are the values of the Australian Greens, one wonders? I expect this from the coalition. I expect better from the Australian Greens.