Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy President, for the third time, the Australian people have seen the inappropriateness of Senator Cameron's commentary, yet he holds a very senior position in the shadow cabinet led by Mr Shorten. Those with whom one surrounds oneself are an indication of one's character and of one's standards. And so Mr Shorten's standards are to have somebody like Senator Cameron on his frontbench—a man willing to defend the worst and attack the best. He defends the worst, people like Luke Collier, for whom and on whose behalf he asked over 60 questions at Senate estimates—a man convicted, if I recall correctly, for having broken the law on multiple occasions and for having engaged in violence against his female partner. But 60-plus questions were run in defence of a person like that. Why? Because he was a CFMEU official. Yet somebody like Senator Molan, who has put life and limb on the line in service of this nation, is to be denigrated and dragged through the mud by Senator Cameron.

That's the sort of standard the Australian Labor Party now brings to these debates. The Australian people ought be warned, the Australian people ought realise that, with the election of a Labor government—if that were to occur—men and women like Senator Doug Cameron would hold frontbench positions and direct our nation. That is, quite frankly, a horrifying prospect. The Australian people deserve so, so much better.

These attacks that have been made on Senator Molan by Senator Cameron indicate that he is willing to attack a decorated soldier but defend a criminal such as Luke Collier. Let's not forget how he ensured the preselection of a gentleman that is now in jail in New South Wales for corruption, one Ian Macdonald—not to be confused with my bench buddy Senator Ian Macdonald here. Let's be clear: they are the sort of people that Senator Cameron goes in to defend. Then he somehow claims that he comes into this chamber with clean hands and denigrates a good man like Senator Jim Molan, a man that I am pleased to call a friend and, as of recent times, a colleague, a man that has done so much more for this nation than you or I, Senator Cameron, ever will. Just remember that. His service overseas, be it in Indonesia, East Timor or Iraq, has been exemplary. That is why he has the 'AO' and that is why he has his military decoration. (Time expired)