Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

This is an entirely uncalled for intervention. The government, in good faith, respected the pairs of the two Greens senators that were absent from this chamber—including on votes that went against us—on that basis. We consistently, and all the way through, respected the pairs of the Greens. We continue to consistently respect the pair of Senator Kakoschke-Moore on the basis that these are Senate positions held by respective parties for which it is possible for the chamber to know what the position of that party is on a particular question after the debate has taken place. There is no capacity whatsoever for us to know what the position of an ineligible senator, of a party that is not represented in this chamber now, is after the debate has taken place. The debate has only just finalised. Nobody in this chamber can possibly know what the position would've been if there had been full participation by that senator who has resigned from the chamber in the debate that has just taken place. I'm disappointed that Senator Wong, who I hold in high regard, made that threat, because the government consistently acted in good faith in relation to all pairs, with the exception of a request for a pair, which we've never accepted, in relation to a party that right now is not represented in this chamber. It is completely unreasonable to expect that the government would act in recognition of a pair for somebody who resigned because of ineligibility and whose party is not here to indicate a party position.