Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, Senator Hurley, you can take credit as well, if you like. The Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water is the most senior minister represented in the Labor Party in South Australia, yet her party has decided to preference the Independent Climate Sceptics higher on the list than a bunch of active and concerned doctors on policy matters. This is outrageous.

These preference deals are constructed by fraudsters and charlatans; people who want to distort the will of voters. They are in bed with the Labor Party. Going into this election the voters need to be aware that, if they choose to vote above the line for any of these organisations that are in bed with the Labor Party, their vote may end up where they least expect it to end up. They may have concerns about climate science, an independent commission against corruption or land tax but, despite those concerns, their votes could well end up supporting Labor Party candidates who stand for the polar opposite of what those voters are supporting. Let the voter beware.