Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Do you want to look for the definition of 'sore losers'? Do you want to find the definition of 'sore losers'? There they all sit on the other side: sore, sad and sorry losers of the Australian Labor Party. The arrogance they had because they believed they were dead certs to win the last election, and they cannot cope with the fact that they don't run the parliament, they don't run the government, and the Australian people gave them a hiding—an absolute hiding—at the last election. The lowest primary vote in more than 100 years. Whatever happened to the proud old Australian Labor Party? The proud old Australian Labor Party copped the lowest primary vote in more than 100 years.

They've come into this chamber with performances like that from Senator Watt and Senator Wong, trying to convince us to believe that somehow they ought to be running the agenda, that they have better plans. Well, what we see from the Labor Party is a cheap and pathetic stunt tonight. Senator Watt just spoke about the fact that he remembers how the responses to the address-in-reply speech ran into the final year of the last parliament. Do you know what the Australian Labor Party had to say about that at that time? They criticised the government for what they claimed was mismanaging the Senate chamber at the time. They said the address-in-reply should have been dealt with earlier. Now the hypocrites come in here and say we're dealing with the address-in-reply too soon. That's right; there's a bunch of hypocrites sitting over there. They're sore losers. They're hypocrites who just come in and change their argument to suit the cause.

Today, the Senate has passed legislation. The Senate has dealt with multiple bills. The Senate's been getting on with its work. And now the Senate has an opportunity to progress the very first address-in-reply speeches. I saw Senator Carr was in the chamber here before—Senator Carr's still in the chamber. Do you know why Senator Carr is in the chamber? Because he's listed at No. 2 on the speakers list for the address-in-reply. Labor's Senator Carr is so keen to speak. He wants to be here speaking on the address-in-reply.

Senator Wong wants to talk about the government's agenda. Senator Wong, I would have thought, given the chaos and confusion raining from the Labor Party as to their position, that you would be breathing a sigh of relief for the hour or so respite from having to decide how you're going to vote on government legislation. Because, do you know what? When you've been tested, you've been found wanting time and time again. In the first sitting week, when we brought the government's tax relief agenda to the parliament, what was the Labor Party's position on tax relief? It was 'we don't know'. When it came to tax relief, you weren't sure whether you were for it or against it, and it wasn't until the final hour or so of that debate that you changed your mind and said you would vote for it.

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Wong just mentioned the drought fund. Can anybody tell us what the Labor Party's final position on the drought fund will be? Will they vote for it? Will they vote against it? What are you going to do? That bill will come to this chamber this week, and you will have a chance to vote on it. But you could remove, Senator Wong, all uncertainty around the drought fund bill by saying you will let it through the Senate. But you won't do that, will you? You won't do that, Senator Wong.

When it comes to temporary exclusion orders, does the Labor Party have a clear position on temporary exclusion orders? The answer, again, is no. Those opposite have no clear position on any of the substantive issues, as they keep trying to have a bob each way. Why are those on the other side having a bob each way? Because we know that, internally, as a result of having lost the election that none of them could accept they might lose, they are so deeply divided and pointing the finger, blaming one another that they have to keep coming up with all of these policy positions where they say, 'We will sort of try to amend what the government's proposal is and we won't say whether we will vote for it or against it, and we will sit on this barbed wire fence right until the very end.'