Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak on the motion to take note of Senator Abetz's answers during question time, because I think Senator Abetz gave some fantastic answers. What this actually reflects on is the questioners. We are going to spend a little bit of time on Senator Cameron, because Senator Cameron's performance was particularly embarrassing, and it was compounded by his contribution to this debate.

If we are going to take note of answers, it is also important we take note of the questions that are asked by those opposite. Senator Cameron asked Senator Abetz, 'Has the government established new rules which will enable employers to hire foreign workers on salaries up to 10 per cent below standard rates?' Senator Abetz's answer was, 'No.' Instead of going to the part of his question that says, 'If yes, ask this; if no, ask this,' Senator Cameron went ahead and asked, 'Won't the introduction of foreign workers on below standard rates simply make it more difficult for Australians to get a job?'

Didn't you hear the answer to the question? The answer to the question was 'No,' Senator Cameron, yet you felt the need to go ahead with the question as if you had not heard the answer given by Senator Abetz. That is the fundamental problem. You have no regard to the facts, no regard to what is put on the record; you simply make assertions even when you know they are false. That continued as Senator Cameron quoted from the article which presumably spurred the question in the first place. I am told the article that Senator Cameron was quoting from was retracted by the author later on the same day. Senator Cameron asked a question based on an article that had already been retracted, he got a clear answer saying that there is going to be no change and then he went ahead with his line of questioning. Senator Cameron—