Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to take note of the statement made by the Leader of the Government in the Senate today, which is in stark contrast to the shambles that we saw here last night, only minutes before this chamber was meant to adjourn. We saw the government, in all chaos, having to march Senator Rennick into the chamber, have him grovel to the chamber, asking for a recommittal of a vote that he says he is still confused about. It was like watching a hostage video! This is what is going on on that side of the chamber—a government in chaos, a Prime Minister untrustworthy, trying to find everyone else to blame.

The renegades can't even get their show in order. They don't know who they're after. But the Prime Minister has, and his government continues to have, the ABC in their sights. Well, this chamber didn't accept that yesterday. The Senate did what we should do, and that is to allow an independent process to continue and to not do the bidding of politicians who don't like what journalists report. That's what was going on here. This chamber last night was about to be asked to set up a witch-hunt into the ABC because the Prime Minister doesn't like what the broadcaster reports. On the eve of an election, Mr Scott Morrison and his untrustworthy ways did not want our public broadcaster to report on what his government is up to. If he can't win an election in his own right, well, bad luck!

This government has had the ABC in their sights from day dot. From the moment that he was elected as Prime Minister, Mr Abbott was found out to be misleading, untrustworthy, after having said on the eve of the election in 2013, 'We won't cut the ABC's budget,' only to then cut and slash and burn—over $700 million cut from our public broadcaster, the service that tells Australians what's going on in the midst of the bushfires, the news service that is most trusted when it comes to information about COVID-19. The ABC, our public broadcaster, is the most trusted public institution in this country. It's not the ABC that Australians have a problem with. It's the Prime Minister, Mr Scott Morrison, who can't be trusted and has a problem with the truth.

So I welcome the about-face of the Leader of the Government in the Senate today, as he came in and confirmed that they won't recommit this vote, because, in doing so, they've exposed just what a shambles the government is in and what a plaything they consider pairing in this place to be. Now we hear that there is going to be a commitment to at least recording paired votes in the Hansard. Heavens above! The Australian people might be able to know how senators in this place have exercised their influence, power and vote! It beggars belief that we're in 2021 and it's a breakthrough to have that element of transparency, because it's been forced on them as they've been exposed for trying to manipulate and be sneaky. It's right up there with the characteristics of the Prime Minister, isn't it?

We do need to sort out the pairing arrangements in this place, and we do need to make sure there is better transparency and accountability. I look forward to seeing those reforms come forward. But, make no mistake, the government wanted this done last night, to continue to attack the ABC, to continue their witch-hunt, because the only thing going for the Prime Minister right now is more cover-up of his untruths and his inability to lie straight in bed.