Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

And he did not even see coming, because had he seen it coming he would have behaved differently in the last three years. This is a Labor man. Had he believed truly that the position of the Australian Labor Party was different to his own position he would have been the true soldier that he is to the Labor movement and he would have remained faithful to the script. But what happened? Here is one setting: he goes to bed, and when he wakes up he throws his leg over the side of the bed and sits up and his head is still on the pillow. You people have no rules. When it comes down to getting serious about issues you have no rules.

Here we are implementing an innocuous bill here. We are simply presenting it to the Senate so it can get on with the business of its work.

Opposition senators interjecting—

We knew there was trouble. When this mob gets together, when the three of them are in the chamber together, we know that democracy is about to suffer.

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Joe, I am surprised you have hung out with them mate. You should go and sit back with the others who are not prepared to sit in the benches with them. I expect far more from you. But, of course, when we talk about democracy, one thing we do know about the Labor Party is that there is no democracy inside the Australian Labor Party. We know that the minute that you disagree or have another view, off comes the noggin. It is gone—blunt chainsaw, one big swipe, ugly scars right across your shoulders. And here we are, the mandated government, the government that the people of Australia put into this place, endeavouring to do an ordinary, innocuous piece of business, and what do you do? Don't any of you breath the words 'democracy' or 'transparency' again in this place. (Time expired)