Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I hope the clock was stopped for that. Let me address some of Senator Polley's points. I have been observing this for about 12 months now, particularly during these opportunities pursuant to standing order 75 to listen to the topics that have been chosen by the Australian Labor Party. When you listen to their contributions, there is nothing. There is no contribution. It is just a hollow vessel—complaining, whining and whingeing. I had a bearing like that in the back of my ute a couple of weeks ago. Give it a shot of grease and the noise went away. That is what you and the Labor Party need, Senator Polley: you need a bucket of grease, because all you do is whinge and whine. It is all negative. There is no alternative; there is no 'You don't get it right with education—here's what you should do.'

Senator Polley interjecting—

There is nothing. In question time we never get a question on education. When Kim Carr—when Senator Carr wakes up on the odd occasion we get one on science about once every 18 months. We do not get anything on the economy—