Senate debates

Friday, 25 November 2011

Bills

Deterring People Smuggling Bill 2011; In Committee

3:13 pm

Photo of Cory BernardiCory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

and it brings me back to the question, which is one of hypocrisy. All week we have had the gagging of debate on a number of contentious and important bills and yet, despite the importance of that earlier debate, we now know from the Greens that we are going to have a filibuster, because I was told as much. I was told that they were going to stay there and keep talking until they had a filibuster. I want the Australian people to know about the true nature of the Greens party. They are very dangerous. They are dangerous to our democracy, because they want to stop us from debating things in this chamber unless it suits them. I say that is the wrong approach.

We have already had three days withdrawn because of the Greens, and they do not want to wear the consequences of it. So I would say to you, Mr Chairman, that this bill should be passed as soon as possible, and I would like the minister to facilitate that as early as he possibly can, because it is very important that this is enacted so that the Australian border protection system can be stronger than it currently is.

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