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

Can I thank the Liberal-National Party of Queensland for coming to the protection of the Greens yet again. It is quite sad to watch. They cannot even manage to stand on their own feet to defend their position. They must think they are actually in a Greens conference where you lock the media out and no-one will notice what goes on inside. Everyone has noticed that you are in bed with the Liberal-National Party—and worse, the Queensland Liberal-National Party. They are your protectors. They cheer you when you speak now. You are going to have to have a shower each time you leave the chamber at this rate. What we have here is a government in a mess, a government that is a shambles.

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—

I was sitting in the committee with you, Senator, and I was reading live texts from your party room as Tony Abbott congratulated Mr Turnbull on his communication skills, and I know that you, Mr Acting Deputy President, were chuckling out loud in that party room as it was happening because we all knew what was really going on—speaking of knives and chainsaws. Mr Abbott was sowing his head back on and he decided that he was going to have a bit of an outing. He was on a bit of a tear this morning. I was reading it live. I was sitting in a joint parliamentary committee and I was reading texts from the Liberal Party live as it went on. We had Senator Abetz get up and back in his good mate. Where were you this morning, Senator Macdonald? Were you defending the Prime Minister from the attack from the Abbott-Abetz forces? I did not read your name in any texts that were coming out of party room.