Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

The reason we should not support this motion is that we might have got a question about that from those opposite. They might have asked, 'Why didn't the minister for climate change go outside and have a chat with the global warming hoax people?' He might have been able to get a question. We might have asked him if they did not.

We are quite happy to debate issues of substance and not to engage in this nonsense day after day, because when you get into issues of substance you actually see how little those opposite stand for. You see the extreme rhetoric that we saw today. You see the connections that they have with the bizarre behaviour of those outside—Clive Palmer and the CIA-Greens conspiracy that is going on. You see the associations with Lord Monckton, Mick Patel and others like them. That is why standing orders should not be suspended.

What we want to debate in this House is issues of substance. Earlier today we had a vote trying to shut down the parliament rather than deal with issues of financial advisers. A standard procedural motion was put on the blues that we move at the end of every session. Never before has it been divided upon by those opposite. Never before has it been voted against. I have been in this place for 16 years and it has never been voted against. But of course there is nothing that those opposite are not prepared to say no to.

At the start of this session the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition said we would have an economic debate. We should not suspend standing orders—so that we can continue to engage in these economic issues, including the financial advisers bill, which is up—

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