Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'll come on that train with you, Senator Lambie. I'll even shout you a coffee when we get to the other end. Absolutely; I couldn't think of something I'd rather do in the great state of Tasmania.

I refer to what appears to be, from media reports, the Prime Minister's backflip with respect to the provision of information to voters in the forthcoming referendum. If this is in fact correct, I'd like to congratulate the Prime Minister for listening to the arguments which the coalition has put forward, that the Australian people deserve to know the detail. The Australian people deserve to hear the arguments, both for and against, put in an appropriate, respectful and civil fashion, and then make their own decision. That is the process which we should be embracing. The government should provide an information pamphlet outlining the yes and the no cases. And the government should provide equal funding to the official yes and no campaigns. That should be provided. Then it is up to the Australian people to come to their decision

Just in that regard, I'll go back to that beautiful piece of literature by philosopher John Stuart Mills, his essay on liberty. He said that the corollary of freedom of speech is the right of people to hear the arguments. That's the corollary of someone's right to freedom of speech: the right of the audience to hear both sides of the argument and then to form their own view based on their own contemplation of the arguments for and against in a civil manner, like we saw in this chamber earlier today—in particular, from Senator Nampijinpa Price and Senator McCarthy. That was civil, respectful discourse.