Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to speak to the motion before the chair. Senator Abetz, the convention is that when you table a statement, you would expect to have a tabled reply. Since you have chosen not to do that, I am of course obliged to respond to your remarks. Let me deal firstly with your slur with regard to the attitude towards Dr Garrett. If you had actually participated in any of the events yesterday, if you had followed any of the developments yesterday, you would have known that there was a full and fulsome congratulation to Dr Garrett, in public, at the Discovery Centre. Your slur with regard to that matter is misplaced because it is once again factually wrong. I should get used to your slurs and I should get used to the fact that you are factually wrong, because that seems to be the common pattern—