Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

'It's coming up,' says Senator Bernardi. This debate was really about: should formality be denied to resolutions that are put up to the Senate which go to complex foreign policy matters without any debate? That is a problem. President Trump scares the bejesus out of me, but I don't think it's right to insult presidents. I don't think it's right to stand here in the Australian Senate without any debate and pass judgement on what other countries are doing. I think that is the height of all arrogance and discourtesy. I think it's inappropriate. The Greens seem to have taken offence to a foreign policy matter which probably is complex—I must say, I didn't read it last week when it was up—but they had every opportunity to deny formality. They had every opportunity to do so, if they thought it was complex, but they want the government to do it. Well, if it got through there, that's inappropriate, but that was completely in their control. But they didn't do it, so today they could have this stunt. They could get up, attack everyone and show how mighty and how just they are and how everybody else isn't, because they work at apparently a higher moral level and judgemental standard than everybody else. Quite frankly, I get a little bit sick of the indignation that they have, as though they have some moral authority which no-one else has.

I think the position that the Senate takes is the correct position, on the whole: complex foreign policy resolutions are denied formality. A resolution isn't simply voted on, yes or no, without debate. I think that's a stupid thing for the Senate to do, and, if it does it from time to time, any senator ought to deny formality and not sulk about it and complain.

I actually support the government's position on this. I support it because it's the same position the opposition has. It's a position we had when we were in government and we continue to support it. It is not appropriate for those sorts of resolutions to be simply voted up or voted down without any discussion about them whatsoever. If you want to have a debate about the impact of foreign policy on Australia, let's have a debate so it can be put in context and different views can be tested and challenged across the chamber. Let's do that. Let's not hide behind sneaky resolutions that are put in really just to wedge people. Generally, that's all we ever get from the Greens. In this part of the business of the Senate, motions are put up to try to wedge one party against another politically, or to try to do what Senator Steele-John said: try to wedge off the Labor Party supporters that he knows are so upset with us, but apparently he's been unable to recruit them. They're so upset with us that it somehow creates some difficulty for us. Quite frankly, it's a nonsense. I get sick of it. I'm sure most other senators get sick of it too. If you want to deny formality, do so.