Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak to the COVID-19 Response Commission of Inquiry Bill 2024, which simply recommends a COVID-19 royal commission. The 15 minutes of diatribe and vitriol from Senator Ayres there was one of the most disgusting speeches—actually, it is probably the most disgusting speech—I've ever heard in this chamber. This is a genuine attempt at dealing with and looking at the way the COVID pandemic was handled. All we're recommending here today and supporting is that we have a thorough inquiry to look at how the consequences of that pandemic can be dealt with—in particular, of course, the people who have been injured by the vaccine—and ways in which, going forward, we can also be better prepared for whatever may happen next.

I just want to point out the sheer and utter hypocrisy of the Labor Party. Under the government led by former prime minister Scott Morrison, there was a select committee on COVID, and the recommendation of that select committee, led by none other than Senator Katy Gallagher and comprising Labor members Senators Murray Watt and Tony Sheldon, was that a royal commission into the handling of COVID be held. Yet, today, when we tried to move a bill that the Labor Party themselves supported—it was a recommendation by the Labor Party themselves when they were in opposition—we just copped some of the most outrageous accusations and slurs of antisemitism. Somehow we're tied up with the horrendous murders that occurred in Chinchilla.

The Labor Party really needs to have a good look at the way it conducts itself in the chamber and in general. There has been an uplift in the last few weeks by the Labor Party members of calling anyone that disagrees with them 'cookers' and 'conspiracy theorists'. And you know what? The general public is waking up to this. The general public don't condone this sort of schoolyard bullying. That's what it is. It's a reflection of the low intelligence of the people that represent the Labor Party, who are incapable of actually (a) treating other people with respect, which is extremely important—we are serving the people here—and (b) being able to engage in a rational debate about the facts of the matter. That is what this chamber is about. It is about having rigorous debate, talking about different ideas and being able to find a middle ground, compromise or whatever. But, instead, what we have is just day after day of name-calling, deflection, censorship and propaganda.

I admit, when I first became a Senate candidate, I was bullied relentlessly by the ABC for four days. It rattled me. I'll admit it rattled me. But I've grown a thicker skin. And Muz—I well remember my first TV interview with Senator Murray Watt and Tom Connell, where they had a go at me over my allegations about the Bureau of Meteorology homogenising data. I've gone back to Tom Connell many a time with the documentations. I'll quote the paper. It's Blair Trewin's paper of 2017, which shows that homogenisation has lifted the weather records by 0.6 degrees. It's all there, Senator Watt, so, if you ever want to debate me with Tom on Sky again, I've got the records to prove that what I said was exactly right. But, of course, they won't actually engage in debate. They would rather hide in the shadows or hide behind thugs like Senator Ayres. We've just spent—