Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

There will come a time when the Australian community will look back and ask itself a simple question: what were we doing when they were defending their homes, when they were protecting their communities, when they were defending precious natural habitat? What were we here doing? The answer this day, as has been the answer on so many occasions since I have entered this place, is making the problem worse, because it was too difficult to do otherwise or because somebody was paying us to do it. That is the only answer that they will discover in this place and they, like me, will be disgusted and ashamed at the weakness, at the cowardice, at the self-interest and at the ignorance that led us to this moment. They will condemn you, as you should rightly be condemned, and hold you accountable at the ballot box and beyond. I thank the chamber for its time.