Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the few minutes that I have today I want to comment on what I find a really sad indictment on the character of modern political debate. It involves the Leader of the Opposition, unsurprisingly—perhaps the most shallow individual who makes a contribution to political debate. Mr Shorten and I have a particular disagreement about the Safe Schools Coalition program, as do some in this chamber have with me and my views on various other things. What I am critical of is the fact that those with differing opinion do not engage in the merits or the facts or otherwise of the debate in a respectful and serious manner. They resort to name-calling. We had Senator Rice earlier today refer to me as 'a homophobic dinosaur' or whatever it was, because she could not address the substance of the debate about the garbage that they are endorsing in our schools.

Then we had the circumstance where the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Shorten, had his Mark Latham moment today, where he proved how brittle and unhinged he truly is. Rather than engage in the merits of the debate, he has gone into full homophobic mode. This man is unfit to put forward an agenda on behalf of the Australian nation. He is unfit to lead a party that once had some substance and once had some dignity about it. He is the absolute hollow man that is characterised by the ABC show of the same name. This is a problem. We have a man who has a history of disloyalty to his union, to the workers of that union, to the leaders of his party and now he is taking them to an election. When confronted with the policy criticism of an agenda that he and his team implemented, the only thing he can respond with to those who disagree with him is to say they are homophobes. What he has done today is to call the millions of Australian parents who are concerned about what is going on in their school system or the thousands of teachers who are worried about what is being said to our children and the psychologists and psychiatrists and others who are commenting on the merits of this program 'homophobes'. What a disgrace and what a shallow excuse for a policy agenda.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President. It is my understanding that the standing orders prohibit adverse reflection on a member in the other place.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been listening, Senator McAllister. Senator Bernardi, you have 19 seconds left.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It comes back to this: Mr Shorten refuses to engage in the merits or otherwise of the program that he has endorsed for a very long time—a program that many parents feel uncomfortable about, as do many teachers and psychiatrists. His only refuge is pejorative slurs.

Debate interrupted.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 2 pm, I call on questions without notice.