Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, the death of a thousand cuts. Mr Acting Deputy President Cameron, I know that you are probably philosophically more aligned with the Greens. I also know that the majority of your colleagues in the right of the Australian Labor Party are not aligned with the Greens. The spectacle of the right wing of the Australian Labor Party rolling over to the Australian Greens, knowing what they stand for and knowing what the right of your political party stands for, was undignified for a party that had its roots not far away from where I live. Part of it was where I live. The Australian union movement and Creswick go back a long way, as the Acting Deputy President will know.

This is now a challenge for this political party. Is it going to let itself be destroyed by this alliance or is someone going to wake up at some stage and say, 'We are no longer prepared to see our great party destroyed by this unholy alliance—by this marriage.' This marriage is not driven by convenience; it is, regrettably for the Australian Labor Party, now driven by philosophical alignment. The challenge is there. I hope, for political process and for good government in this country, that the Australian Labor Party realises the damage it has done itself. I hope the Australian Labor Party does not let us have a repeat of what has occurred today.