Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

those not in government are given the opportunity to ask questions of the executive, but, you see, the ministers that have been asked the question then have a responsibility to the parliament to be accountable. And what we have seen this week—in particular with Senator Farrell, as the acting leader of the Australian Senate, the Minister representing the Prime Minister of Australia—is a complete, total and utter disregard for this place, the Australian Senate and a complete, total and utter disregard for the Australian people, because, quite frankly, if you don't know the answer to a question, you're actually better off just saying to us you don't know. We would actually prefer that answer to what you have done this week.

To those listening in, this is the contempt the leader in the Australian Senate, the Minister representing the Prime Minister, has shown. And it's not just to the Senate, because the Senate represents the Australian people. So, it is the contempt that is being shown this week to the Australian people. Senator McGrath asked Senator Farrell a question: 'My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Farrell. Can the minister name anywhere in Australia where power prices have been reduced since Labor have been in government?' This is the response Senator Farrell gave to the Australian people: 'I thank Senator McGrath for his question. I do not follow power prices closely enough to be able to answer the question.' He then went on to say: 'I'm not sure that there's any person in the chamber who so closely watches power prices that they are able to get that answer.'

Well, Senator Farrell, I say to you, there actually are people in the chamber who follow power prices. There are people in the gallery who know what the increase in the their power bill is. There are people listening in—

Government senators interjecting—