Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

(—) (): This may surprise Senator Leyonhjelm, and perhaps other colleagues in this chamber, but I can immediately think of an achievement of the Greens—a very important achievement. I've been in this chamber now coming on 12 years, and one of the Greens' finest achievements was to help the Liberal-National Party defeat Labor's disastrous carbon pollution reduction scheme. In my time in this place I have not seen a finer moment of the Australian Greens than when they helped us pursue policy which protected the environment in a way that was economically responsible. Sadly, I think the Greens have somewhat lost their way since then. Sadly, the Greens these days are way too close to the Labor Party, and the Labor Party's way too close to the Greens. But it would not be accurate to say that there were no Greens achievements during my period here in this Senate. I've just pointed to one. On notice, I can perhaps think of some others. (Time expired)