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

Even I got through, yes. Senator Hanson is raising this because of the incompetence of One Nation in actually taking proper steps to ensure that Senator Malcolm Roberts is eligible to sit in this parliament. I've watched Senator Roberts dissemble before the press on many occasions, trying to justify who he is or what he is. I think all that's happened is that people are even more confused about Senator Malcolm Roberts's position: whether he is an Australian, whether he's Indian, whether he's from the UK, or whether he's got no background at all—whether he's the invisible man. This is an absolute stunt from One Nation.

Mr Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, Senator Wong and Senator Dastyari all went through extensive and professional analysis of their capacity to sit in parliament. But because One Nation were not professional enough and didn't have the common sense to make sure that someone who was standing for parliament was actually eligible to sit in parliament, they want to reverse the onus of proof on every other senator and MP in this place. It is another stunt and another desperate position from you, Senator Hanson.

Senator Hanson, you've seen what we go through. I went through the process myself. I went through what seems to be a completely different process from Senator Malcolm Roberts. What he has put on the public record bears no resemblance to what I had to do to renounce my British citizenship—absolutely no resemblance. If you want to take bets on what the High Court will do, I wouldn't be putting any bets on Senator Malcolm Roberts coming out squeaky clean in relation to his citizenship; I certainly would not. This is not about closing ranks, Senator Hanson. This is about a professional political party, the Labor Party, actually doing what's required to be done before people stand for the Senate or the House of Representatives. We actually went through a proper, professional process.

Senator Hanson, there would be no by-elections for senators. I thought you would at least understand that basic proposition, given that you have Senator Malcolm Roberts in such problems. Whether it's going to be your sister, another one of your relatives or one of your hangers-on that comes in here to replace you or to replace Senator Malcolm Roberts, who knows? Who knows what that position will be? But it's quite clear that this lot are so unprofessional, so incompetent, that they can't even put their own people through a proper process to make sure they're eligible to sit in this parliament.

There are no closed ranks in this from the Labor Party, just a professional approach to ensuring that people are entitled to be in this place. There's no loss of confidence in the Labor Party; the Labor Party is a strong opposition—an opposition that could end up sitting across the chamber after the next election and actually delivering decent policies for this place. Because you have been unprofessional and you have been incompetent, don't come here and try and put everyone else in the same boat as you. You are incompetent, unprofessional and an absolute racist when it comes to other people in this country. (Time expired)