Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy has come up a couple of times today, which he'll probably be very pleased about. I'll probably get a text: 'See—I'm gone but not forgotten.' He was very clear about the need to do that. Senator Farrell has been clear about the need to do that. What are we—a year and a bit down the track? Despite the fire and brimstone we see from the government, that bill has not been progressed, and the government's approach to the issue, which it keeps promising us, still hasn't appeared. I think the last thing we had was: 'It'll come in the spring session.' Well, here we are, still waiting. And I note today on radio Senator Brandis was asked quite directly about the person in question, Mr Huang, donating to both sides of politics, and I think he effectively conceded that Mr Huang has been a donor to the Liberal Party as well. He says, again, that it's not the issue. I do enjoy the way Senator Brandis decides for everybody what the issue is and what the issue isn't.

Senator Dastyari did the wrong thing and he has had to pay a price, as he should have. He's had to stand up in the chamber and explain himself, as he should have. It was appropriate that he resign from the frontbench on the previous occasion, and it is appropriate, given what has been disclosed, that he resign as Deputy Opposition Whip and from other parliamentary positions, in light of what has been disclosed. He has done the wrong thing and he has fronted up and he has done what has been asked of him by the Leader of the Opposition, which is to resign from his position. I would, though, remind those opposite—I understand the overreach, but calling the deputy whip a senior frontbencher does make Wacka Williams a senior frontbencher. And, Senator Fawcett—he's a good South Australian colleague; we disagree on many things, but he's a hard worker and a decent operator—that makes you a senior frontbencher too. So there you go!

Good on you, Senator Fawcett!