Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Brandis, we know what you think about a lot of things. We know what you think about your colleagues in Queensland from the LNP. We know that when a mike is near you in future you will need to check that the mike is off. But this is simply about a coalition in disarray. They are at odds with each other. You talk about accountability and integrity, but the only accountability and integrity that you guys want is accountability and integrity in the trade union movement, not accountability and integrity within the Liberal Party—absolutely none within the Liberal Party.

As I said, we are the house of review. I just had a quick look at the amendments being put forward by Senator Xenophon. They are extensive amendments. I do not think too many senators have actually had an opportunity to look at those amendments. When you add those amendments to the amendments from Labor, which are also extensive amendments on this bill, then this is something that you should not be debating, something that you should not be considering, way into the small hours of the night just because the coalition cannot get their act together. You talk about wasting time. Who did we have today? We had Senator Macdonald, we had Senator Reynolds, we had Senator Back and we had Senator Paterson up and engaging in the debate. How dare the coalition accuse us of filibustering when they have their own people up on their feet talking for 20 minutes each in the debate. If we were wasting time, what were they doing?

This is a matter of complex and very important amendments. I say to the coalition that we are interested in accountability and integrity. We are not just interested in accountability and integrity for the trade union movement, even though that is important. We need to start looking at accountability and integrity for the Liberal Party—even for the mediocre LNP in Queensland. Maybe we should be looking at how good they are—that mediocre mob of LNP senators and members up in Queensland who your leader says are so bad that he cannot control himself and gives a character reference in front of the whole country. I do not often agree with Senator Brandis, but he has got it right on this. What a mediocre mob up in Queensland. What a mediocre bunch of LNP members up there. Your own leader has absolutely no time for you. Your own leader does not have any concern for your feelings, because he just said you are mediocre. You are absolutely mediocre. It looks like we have all night now, if this gets passed, to deal with complex legislative issues, issues that we should not be dealing with in a rush. I like what the Greens say, that Senator Xenophon, bringing this on and supporting this, is actually doing everything that he had lectured us for years in this place not to do. But I suppose that once you get into a position of power, like Senator Xenophon, your morals and values can slip a little if it suits you. This should not go ahead. We should do our job. (Time expired)