Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. Senator Bilyk talks about how disillusioned she has been by this entire process. Senator Bilyk, you have been around longer than I have. Can you imagine my shock and horror, as a young migrant in this place, to see where this government will stoop to? A bill that we went to an election on, a bill that was meant to be a priority: in the last week of parliament, a half-arsed attempt to ram it through—and I am sure that is parliamentary language!

Let's be clear. I am comfortable with the hours motion insofar as I am comfortable to stay in this chamber to participate in debates. I will let the chamber in on a little secret: hanging out with Senator McCarthy is actually the highlight of my social calendar. But on a bill that was so important that we needed to bring it forward and debate it in this way—where are the conservative senators? Where are they all? Where is everybody? I believe there are a few Christmas drinks going on around the place. That is the only place I can assume they are, because they are certainly not here in the chamber.