Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very disappointed, but not surprised. To summarise what Senator McAllister said: 'We support Senator Patrick's amendment in principle. We have our own bills in this place that, of course, sit as private members' bills.' They won't necessarily get through this place and, certainly, if they get through this place they won't get through the other place.

We have a piece of legislation here that the government wants to pass and to which we can attach this relatively simple amendment, which lowers the disclosure threshold to $1,000. There's a provision in this amendment to make sure that it doesn't burden people. If someone makes a $5,000 donation they don't have to disclose it themselves, but the political party does. It's been carefully crafted so that only if you're a person who makes a donation above $10,000 do you also have to contact the AEC. Political parties have to disclose anything above $1,000.

I just find it really difficult. The proposition here is that we could change the disclosure threshold to $1,000. It's Labor policy and they have bills in place, but they don't want to do anything because they're not in government. This shows why they don't deserve to be in government. They have to stand up for what they believe in; they have to cast their vote in such a way that moves things in a better direction. The perfect is the enemy of the good! This is a good amendment—they've said so themselves—yet they're going to vote against it! That just tells me that they're disingenuous. They don't actually believe in it.

Everyone who is looking at the Labor Party now and trying to work out whether they would vote for them ought to understand that they don't have the courage in opposition to give effect to their own policies. Of course, when they get into government, what confidence do we have that they'll then implement those themselves? What confidence do we have that the Labor Party, who are shying away from supporting their own policy when the opportunity arises, would in fact implement those policies in government?

In order to be in government you have to demonstrate, first, that you're a strong opposition. And they are not: they are a weak opposition. They could simply vote for this and make a change—it's not perfect, but it's a change that brings about good and is their own policy. Duplicity is what we have here, and weak, weak leadership.

Mr Albanese ought to be picking up the phone to Senator Wong and saying, 'You have to vote for this, because this is good policy; this is the direction we want to take the country in.' But no: they're going to sit here and say, 'It's all going to be much better when we're in government.' Do you know what? I saw this happen just prior to the last election in relation to ISDS. Against its own policy, the Labor Party waved through some ISDS provisions on a piece of legislation related to free trade agreements, saying, 'We're going to undo this when we get into government.' Guess what? You didn't get into government, and there's no guarantee that you will this time. But, if you vote for my amendment, you will bring about change that you know is good change.

But you have no courage. You have no conviction. People are seeing how hollow and how shallow the Labor Party is in opposition, which gives rise to the question of why they would vote for you in an election, when you exhibit those characteristics. There's no excuse for your not voting for this, Labor; there is no excuse at all for not voting for this. This will end up being a micky—and for those listening who don't know what that is, it's when we know that the Labor Party and the Liberal Party are voting together, so not everyone from their side needs to turn up and vote. We saw that yesterday when this vote was put. I think there were about two or three Labor Party people in the chamber. I think most of them are—rightfully—ashamed at the position taken, whereby the Labor Party doesn't even back its own policies. So, let's get on with this. Let's put this amendment to a vote and let's see how the Labor Party behave.