Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

In speaking to the motion, I highlight to the Senate that clearly Minister Bowen, who is the real minister, got the message from Senator Barnett and did not send it on to Senator Carr. Whether or not he was setting Senator Carr up because they are in different factions, I do not know. But it is a condemnation and it is typical of the arrogance of this government that the senior minister in the other chamber gets a message from the Senate and then chooses not to tell his representing minister in the Senate chamber. It says a lot about the Labor government and their lack of respect for the parliamentary process, although perhaps I am wrong on that. Perhaps I am more correct when I say Minister Bowen just wanted to set up a factional opponent.

Question agreed to.