Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the comment from the Greens leader, Senator Di Natale—it is very similar. Then, we were working together. What is going on here now is that a few Labor senators—and it is only a few Labor senators—are trying to derail this. They talk about sham and they talk about advantage; they are the ones who are looking for an advantage here.

Again, I will repeat for listeners who may just have come in: what we are about to vote on is not about a real inquiry to help advance Senate voting reform. We have had the experience with upper house voting reform in New South Wales since 1999, through four elections, very similar to what we have here. Small parties have been elected, there have been no complaints, we have the proof in practice and we have so many experts backing this. There are just a few Labor senators who I would say are causing problems for the leader of the Labor Party in a very destructive way for their own party. The former minister and former shadow on this issue, Gary Gray, has spelt it out very clearly.

This is not a good day for Labor: they have been exposed for the very destructive way in which they can operate—not in the best interests of the common good for Australia or for the interests of democracy. Thank you.