Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Those who are listening to this broadcast today cannot see what I can see; the four members of the government sitting in the chamber can. What they can see is that on this matter of urgency the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is being supported by only two Labor senators. This is not a matter of urgency; this is a cheap political stunt. If those opposite were serious about this matter then those benches opposite would be filled. One of those Labor senators has to be here because they are the whip. This is a cheap political stunt. I will wager whatever amount of money Senator Evans wants to put on it that this matter will be referred by the Labor Party to the Privileges Committee. The only reason that has not been done is that they know, and I know, that had they done so this morning we would not be debating this matter this afternoon. It is a cheap political stunt.