Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I look forward to taking note of answers to questions today. I find it absurd that the coalition opposition, led by Senator Ronaldson, dare lecture us on transparency, decency and hypocrisy. How dare they. If you want to talk about hypocrisy, Senator Ronaldson and all you senators opposite, we will talk about hypocrisy. The member for Flynn, Mr Trevor, a very well respected member of his community, has had a longstanding ad in the local newspaper supporting his business. What evidence is there that there is anything illegal or improper about that? You come into this chamber and throw accusations around like grenades and dare to bring down the good name of Mr Trevor.

Let us talk about hypocrisy, shall we? Let us talk about people who are on the taxpayers’ drip while they are supposed to be representing their electorates. That brings to mind the member for Lyne, Mr Vaile. Let us talk about hypocrisy and Mr Vaile, shall we? He is on the government payroll and yet was financed by a company to go to the Middle East. He got paid for that as well as drawing a wage from the Australian taxpayers. And you come in here and lecture us about hypocrisy. How dare those opposite. No-one has explained Mr Vaile carrying on in the Middle East and getting two incomes. I am sure that after Work Choices there would be numerous Australians who would kill for two incomes. How dare those opposite stand there and keep straight faces when they look at us and throw those accusations at Mr Trevor.

While we are at it, I will bring up another person: the longstanding member for Mayo. He called himself the longest serving foreign minister. He just decided that he is not going to turn up for question time. Talk about arrogance and ignorance. After all those years in government, you cannot handle the fact that the people of Australia have uncovered you and found out what you stand for. And you attack a new member, a new member who has a longstanding commitment to his electorate. And I am still waiting for the substance. If Senator Ronaldson is going to come into this chamber and make wild accusations and wave bits of paper around, he should do his homework. For the tactics team over there, it is all very fancy to have these wonderful accusations with no substance, but back them up. After the carry-on of some of your former ministers, you should be ashamed.

Those senators opposite should hang their heads in shame. They want to talk about decency, openness, fairness and transparency. What an absolute joke that is. As I said, I am still waiting for an explanation, as I am sure most of Australia is, as to how Mr Vaile dared to get two pay cheques. What was he doing over there? Was he bettering Australia’s future or was he looking after his own interests while still attracting a backbencher’s salary? With the greatest of respect, I do not subscribe to the argument that Mr Vaile, like Mr Abbott, runs: the pathetic excuse to the Australian people that he cannot afford to live on a backbencher’s pay.

I am quite proud to say that we are well remunerated. I am sure there are 20 million Australian workers who would absolutely love a backbencher’s pay rate. But Mr Vaile has probably been talking to Mr Abbott, because he is probably finding it so hard to go from his ministerial pay packet to a backbencher’s pay packet. How condescending and how sickening is that. Get out there and tell the Australian public that you think that that is a good argument. You should be absolutely ashamed. I am ashamed to sit in the same chamber as some of you; to me you are a disgrace. In fact, Senator Abetz, you kept very quiet about it because you could not justify Mr Vaile’s and Mr Downer’s disgraceful behaviour and arrogance towards Australian taxpayers.