George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I find it very curious that Senator Pratt would attack the idea of a plebiscite when only a matter of weeks ago her own leader announced as Labor Party policy to have a plebiscite on another issue—and that is the old chestnut of whether Australia should become a republic. I actually don't hear people in the street saying that they are worried and that they lie awake at night worrying about whether Australia should become a republic, and yet Mr Shorten has decided that Australia should have a plebiscite about whether we become a republic—not a constitutional referendum, for which there is explicit provision under section 128 of the Constitution, but a plebiscite on an issue that is on nobody's mind, except a few ideologues around Mr Bill Shorten. So don't come in here condemning a plebiscite, Senator Pratt, when your own leader just announced one.