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

So when we say, as those opposite have been trying to imply, that this has been our position for the two years, this has never been adopted. It has not been adopted, not once by any decision-making body of the parliamentary Labor Party. Let me make this clear: this has never been the party policy of the Federal Labor Party. Not once, not for one day and not ever. So let me be very clear about that for those who have attempted to describe this as the Labor Party's position.

As others have said, there are many times when parliamentary committees meet and put forward recommendations that are ignored or not adopted or supported. That happens all the time, but that does not mean that just because a committee has reported it the individuals have supported a position—that is the parliamentary Labor Party. I take great pride in the processes of our caucus and not once has this ever been put to caucus. Not once has this ever been put to shadow cabinet. There has been a number of discussions in some other forums. So let me be clear.

Then there is this idea that there are proper consultations. I say congratulations to those individuals who have taken the time to rush and put in a submission, but to all of those others who have not been able to prepare a report—to those smaller parties, to the minor parties, to the independents, who are about to be purged from the Senate forevermore—it is no great surprise. Do not worry, Senator Rice, you are on the purge list, too. You just have not worked out yet, but it will dawn on you soon exactly what is being proposed to you. You are being marched up to the inner tumbrel, up to the guillotine, and you just do not know it yet—that is the best part. I will come to it, don't worry. But you will not be able to misunderstand what is being planned for you by those sitting around you. They have not explained this to you yet. What you are doing is that you are the turkey voting for an early Christmas.

You had all of the modelling done on half-Senate elections. Did the Liberals promise you that they would not call a DD when you gave them the trigger? Did they promise you that? Seriously, I have got a harbour bridge that I want to sell you next. Because they have given you the opportunity to march yourselves up to the guillotine and you have leapt into bed with them.

You are also jeopardising important reforms that you voted for previously—the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. It is on the chopping block. If they win this election they will walk in, they will take us into whichever chamber you have a DD sitting in—because I have not done it in the 20 years that I have been here—and they will vote down something that you have sat in here and blocked. They will vote it down. They will wipe it out it. It is your party's policy and it is their party's policy to abolish it, and you will march into the other chamber, if that is where we are, and you will watch it get voted down. No-one but you will be responsible for that. Nobody but the Greens will be responsible for allowing the vandals on that side of the chamber to wipe out the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and all of the good work that we know it does and that you know it does.

Honourable senators interjecting—

All of you down there, you can keep squealing because, but that is what you are voting for.

An honourable senator interjecting—

No, I said if they were to win. If they were to win, that is what you have done. There is nowhere to hide. You can chuckle. Senator Di Natale, here, can wave is arms around like Inspector Gadget, but lets us be clear that that is what you are doing. The best part is that no-one has explained to you the ramifications—

An honourable senator interjecting—

I have known you for a long time, Senator Rice, now be fair. There are the ramifications of actually having a double-d and how parties select their own tickets—good luck with that, I am looking forward to it. There is only probably the state of Tasmania that could absolutely have a reasonable chance of picking up two. The rest of you: Victoria, you are sitting there—I do not even think you are in the death seat, you are in the dead seat. You are actually sacrificing your own positions to give the government control of the Senate. Because guess what happens when you do not get them, it is us or them. The only thing that can save the country, God forbid, is Senator Xenophon picking up four seats in South Australia, which there is a chance of. So let us be clear, you are voting to stop war on yourselves.

But it gets better, those of you who have not been through a DD, or studied what happens after a DD, need to understand that the Senate then votes on who gets the six-year terms and the three-year terms based on the order in which you were elected.