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

As I said, never has the need for a republic been more evident than today. The ghost of Sir John Kerr has crawled and reached out from the grave to interfere in a democratically elected Senate decision. That is just the situation.

I understand why the government are so embarrassed about today. I understand why they told the High Court judges not to come and sit in the boxes. They told the chiefs of Army and Navy and Air Force, 'Don't come today.' They asked the diplomatic corps, 'Don't dress up as you normally do and come to the opening.' I understand why the government have done that. I understand why they are so defensive. I understand they do not want the Australian public to know what the costs of these two sittings are. I understand why they are so sensitive. But, Mr President, despite an enormous expense to the taxpayer, not to mention lost productivity and opportunity costs, this is nothing more than a political stunt by the government, who have dragged the office of the Governor-General into the government's tawdry political manoeuvrings.