Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Let me just point you to an opinion piece that Mr Gray put into TheWest Australian a few weeks:

These changes will … mean voter intention is reflected in a democratic electoral outcome. They will deliver to voters control over whom they do and do not vote for.

These reforms are not intended to stifle or prevent the formation of new parties …

These reforms simply mean that political parties, including my own—

That will be the Labor Party—

will have to convince the public rather than backroom deal-makers that they deserve their votes.

That is actually what democracy should be all about. Sadly, for the Australian people, what has become apparent is that Bill Shorten is not up to the job of leading the country. When he was faced with the considered advice of a highly regarded shadow minister for this area, on one hand, and the pushing and shoving of the backroom operators in his party, he went with the pushing and shoving of the backroom operators. He did not go with the public interest. He did not go with empowering voters to determine where they want their vote to go. He went with the backroom operators like Senator Conroy, and that is not a good reflection on Mr Shorten. He has failed his test of leadership and today is just another demonstration of it. (Time expired)