Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The committee was clearly inquorate. Senator Watt had left, and I stood and said, 'I'm leaving; you are now inquorate', and then I left the meeting. It was clear to anyone there that the committee was then inquorate. The fact that Senator McKim has a different view of things really does not take the matter any further. The committee was clearly inquorate and if this proceeds it means we get to the stage where, as long as there is a quorum at the beginning of a meeting, everyone can leave and then one person can maintain a committee hearing by himself or herself. If we get down to that, it even further diminishes the standing of Senate committees and the notice that is taken of Senate committees, because they have become an absolute farce. This committee, particularly, keeps demonstrating that it does not matter what the rules are, it will do whatever the Labor and Greens majority want. They set up meetings knowing that no government member will be there. They therefore have these hearings, which are just extensions of the Labor Party and Greens political campaign using Senate money and Senate time and resources to run a political line.