Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have made a number of contributions on this subject over recent days. I almost feel like I have been burdened with the role of being the conscience of the Senate.

Senator Hanson-Young interjecting—

No, seriously. We're mates at the moment—don't you start interjecting. I have paid attention to listening to what everyone—

Opposition senators interjecting—

No, it is the Australian Labor Party that I am helping out here. There have been massive gaps in the contributions made by your speakers. Over the last few days, we have noted that Labor are working their way through the alphabet. I mentioned in a contribution last night that they have chopped heads off—I will not go into that ghastly description again, but they have decapitated all the key players. Faulkner is no longer the honourable father of both the Senate and the Labor Party. He is no longer the conscience of what is right and fair and transparent in the processes of the Senate and indeed Senate elections. He has been gone for a couple of weeks and, somehow, everything that was thought of him has gone.

Faulkner is out and Mr Gray from the other place, who is probably across this matter in much more detail than his colleagues in the Labor Party, has gone too. Guillotine there is rolling around on the floor and Mr Griffin from the other place, who was a fair and reasonable individual, has also gone. They have been replaced. They have got to the Cs in the Labor Party—we have Carr, Cameron, Conroy and Collins. Sterlo, you are never going to get a brief here; this is going to be over before we get to the Ss. They have now trotted out a brand-new team. Why are they brand-new and not entitled to make a contribution to this? Where have they been since May 2013? This is not new subject matter—there is nothing new about what might need to happen with electoral reform, especially Senate voting. This is nearly older than I—this has been around since May—no, I am known to embellish on occasions.