Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy comes in right on time—right on cue. Let us look at the behaviour of the shadow defence minister, who personally attacked a man in uniform under parliamentary privilege in a manner for which Senator Conroy has never apologised. Senator Wong, where was your righteous indignation then? Nowhere to be seen. There was stony silence when the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this place and shadow defence minister accused Lieutenant General Campbell, and I quote from page 94 of the Senate Hansard of 25 February 2014, just earlier this year:

That's called a political cover-up.

Conroy again:

You are engaged in a political cover-up.

When it was indicated by the chair that this was offensive, Senator Conroy repeated it:

It is time to call a spade a spade.

Lieutenant General Campbell said:

Senator, I would like to put on the public record—

And there he is, pretending tears in relation to Lieutenant General Campbell, a man in uniform. The general is a man who has served his country extremely well, a lot better than Senator Conroy ever will, who has the audacity to pretend that Lieutenant General Campbell was not offended—and what did Senator Conroy do? He simply said—