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

I accept your admonishment. So what we have is the finance minister cutting loose the Treasurer. This is while they are weeks away from putting a budget to bed. Senator Cormann tells the country on national television, 'I do not talk to Mr Morrison about those issues.' I mean, really, talk about pushing him out the door into the snow, talk about stealing the paddle and pushing him off up the creek. Senator Cormann is paying back Mr Morrison for betraying Tony Abbott.

I admire your ability to stick with Mr Abbott but, seriously, there is a bit of a rule when you are on the front bench, when you are part of the economic team, when you are the Treasurer and the finance minister—you defend each other publicly. Perhaps Mr Morrison does not actually smoke cigars. Perhaps that is the problem—he has not accepted a cigar from Senator Cormann. Senator Cormann has not even attempted to make a case. He arrogantly thinks, 'I can stroll down to the other end of the chamber, I will tickle senator Di Natale on the tummy and I will tell him that he should do this.' It is all part of this filibuster. It is all part of the Labor Party picking on those nice Greens because they are supporting the government to wipe out and purge this chamber of anyone they do not like, to take revenge. How long do we have to put up with a couple of people who did not get elected to parliament dictating party policy? Because they did not win, they want revenge on Senator Leyonhjelm. Goodness me, grow up.

Senator Cormann wanders down there, tickles Senator Di Natale—(Time expired)