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

First past the post, Senator Cameron. But let's be clear. We have seen the flirting going on this week and for the last few weeks between Mr Michael Kroger and Senator Di Natale. He has even been forced to say the Greens are not really the nutters they used to be. He needs to get out more, because he would quickly discover he is wrong.

When it comes to hypocrisy, I want to make something very clear. While Senator Di Natale earlier tonight was saying, 'We've done no deal,' let me tell you what the Greens did in the last Victorian state election. They did a grubby backroom deal to run split tickets in the six most marginal electorates in Victoria. They tried to help the Liberals get elected in the six most marginal seats in Victoria. That is what they are proposing to do again. Senator Dastyari said it earlier. They are not going to preference the Liberals; they are just going to help them in a sneaky way, in return for receiving their preferences in marginal seats. That is exactly what is going on here. This 'loose preference deal', this, 'Oh, I could see myself forming government with the Liberal Party,' and this lovely flirting and preening we have been seeing are all about one thing: more green bums on red seats. To hell with the principles of the party; to hell with the principles of the Greens; 'We just want more green bums on red seats.' (Time expired)