Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

One thing I would say to people who are considering which way to vote on this motion is that this is not about whether or not you agree with the government's border policy. It is well known that I have a difference of opinion with the minister about that.

This is not about whether you in fact even agree with the decisions that the minister has made. This is about whether ministers in this government can be trusted to tell the truth to the House. I say to the members of the government backbench and to other members in this place that this won't even affect the numbers in parliament, tightly balanced as they are because the government has decided to leave the people of Wentworth without representation. This won't even affect the numbers in parliament. This is just a clear message that this minister is no longer fit to sit on the front bench. If the minister is not going to take the course that would be the honourable course, which is what you do when you are in clear breach of the ministerial standards, if he's not going to take it himself, then parliament needs to send the clearest possible message. And precedent would dictate that, if this suspension motion is passed, and then the ultimate motion is passed, the minister goes to the back bench. For that reason, we must suspend standing orders right now.

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