Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I'll let the record stand for itself on that matter, Chair. In conclusion—

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Senator Watt, just bear in mind section 193 of the standing orders.

Thank you, Chair. I think what we saw yesterday from Senator Hanson will go down in history as one of the biggest attempted rorts and one of the biggest attempted swindles of the public purse that Australia has ever seen from a federal politician. It will go down in history as 'Pauline's Payday'. That's what yesterday was. That was about Senator Pauline Hanson coming to Canberra to give herself a nice, sweet, fat pay rise, which all of those battlers back in Queensland are going to be paying more tax to fund. That's what happened yesterday. And I can understand why Senator Hanson is now desperately running to the chamber to try to tidy up this mess; it's because she's been caught out.

I've said many times before that Senator Hanson should be ashamed of her behaviour. I've never felt it more strongly than I feel it today, because not only is she trying to enrich herself personally but she's doing it at the expense of the very battlers whom she was elected to this parliament to represent. It is a shameful day, even for Senator Hanson. The government is complicit. We know there's been a dodgy deal done between the government and One Nation to get this legislation through, so the government's hands are every bit as dirty as Senator Hanson's. Already, people in Queensland know very well what you've been up to here, Senator Hanson. They're only going to know more about it. You can laugh, if you think it's funny to rip off taxpayers' funds.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Senator Watt, through the chair.

Chair, if Senator Hanson thinks it's funny and a laughing matter to be ripping off the public to give herself a pay rise, she's on her own, because I don't think it's funny. I think it's a very serious matter that Senator Hanson should be completely ashamed of, trying to rip off taxpayers in this manner.