Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hinch for that contribution because it was a much more rational contribution and far more closely connected to reality than the contribution we just heard from Senator Dastyari, who has now fled the chamber rather than stay and face the music and be held to account for the absolute drivel that came out of his mouth during his contribution.

I was listening carefully to Senator Dastyari. Do you know who I did not hear Senator Dastyari refer to? I did not hear him refer to the farmers of Australia once in his contribution. Not once in this debate tonight have Labor addressed a single microsecond of thought to the farmers of Australia who were facing having the fruit rotting off their trees—dropping from the limbs of the cherry trees down at Middleton in Tasmania, the apple trees down at Castle Forbes Bay and, deep in the Huon Valley, the pear trees of Dover. Not once have the Labor Party addressed their minds to those farmers who were facing massive business losses because they simply could not find the labour to get the crops off the trees.

Do you know who else I did not hear Senator Sam 'Dashing' Dastyari refer to? It was the tourism sector in Australia and specifically the tourism sector in Tasmania, which has issued a very glowing statement late this afternoon about the Greens' maturity and the fact that the Greens were ready to be the adults in the room. I do acknowledge for the record that Senator Dastyari is now returning to the chamber. I am glad he has returned to hear this.