Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to oppose this notice of motion. Senator Fifield talks about the proposition being 'eminently sensible'. I just find the words 'eminently sensible' and 'the Liberal Party' not to be compatible at all. This is a government that almost for nine months did absolutely nothing. They got into office, and they had all the three-word slogans, and it took them nine months to try and convert those three-word slogans into a parliamentary proposal that would deal with a legislative process of this place. And we warned the coalition. We warned them, when they were putting together the time frame for parliamentary sittings for this session, that they had got it wrong—that there probably would not be enough time. But we were ignored. And this so-called eminently sensible government, that has demonstrated nothing but chaos in this place from the first sitting to this sitting, cannot stand up here and lecture us about any of these issues about trying to get legislation through this place.

As Senator Moore has said, we are prepared to accept any responsible suggestions. But we need to deal with those responsible suggestions on the basis that there is some urgency to the issues before us. No argument has been put up about the urgency. No argument has been put up about why this is eminently sensible, other than assertions. Assertions do not make good arguments. Simply asserting urgency and simply asserting that it is eminently sensible is not good enough, Senator Fifield. It is not good enough when you have nine months of inactivity behind you. (Time expired)