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

I would say that when this speech is, potentially, looked at by others they will see that the constant interjections by the mover of this bill, in relation to my speech on behalf of the coalition addressing the legislation that is before the Senate, prove the point of why the coalition will not be supporting this piece of legislation. We will not support a bill that puts the interests of all Australian citizens second to the interests of a narrow, sectional group of political supporters of Senator Thorpe and the Australian Greens. All this bill does is ensure that the courts are able to be used as a forum to make political points about events overseas or in Australia's past and make accusations about genocide or war crimes in order to advance nothing more and nothing less than a political narrative.

This immature—as we've seen on display today; the Hansard will reflect this—shouty, undergraduate and childish approach exploits and devalues what are extremely grave offences that relate to some of the most serious crimes imaginable. As I said, the crimes that we are referring to are genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, some of the most serious crimes imaginable.

The legislation and statements made by Senator Thorpe in her address to the Senate and, more than that, her display during the speech that I gave yet again confirm that this bill is nothing more and nothing less than a vehicle for political activists to get into our court, to put the interests of the Australian people second to their own—nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, based on the last three years in this place, sadly, it is exactly what we've come to expect from the extreme radical Greens and their allies.

Given this, literally, will be the last sitting day of the Senate of this parliament, I'll close my speech by saying this to all Australians: God help Australia if those radical left-wing ideologues are holding the Prime Minister's puppet strings in a Labor minority government after the election. God help Australia!