Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

As I have already indicated, you can ask the same question 10 times in a row here today. You asked the same string of questions with Senator Birmingham the last time we were here in the chamber and got the same answer. It is clearly apparent that you are engaged in a filibuster—stamping your feet, refusing to debate and discuss and refusing to bring amendments to vote. You are engaged in a filibuster. When you referred to me filibustering earlier, I took it as a great compliment, coming as it did from probably the best filibusterer on the opposition side. Senator Macdonald, your capacity to generate your own outrage is at times truly a wonder to behold and at other times a comedy to behold.

As I have said, you can ask this question, Senator Birmingham and Senator Macdonald, 10 more times. I have given you the answer. There is no more information I can give you than the answer I have already given to your question. You can speculate. You can make up your own answers. You can have a conversation between yourselves, as you have been doing. But it is apparent to everybody, including those listening, that you are not interested in anything other than wasting the chamber's time as part of your ongoing 'We are opposed to everything' Tony Abbott approach. You can call quorums and you can threaten to call quorums, Senator Macdonald. It just exposes you as a complete and utter waster of the chamber's time.