James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support a suspension of standing orders, in line with the government's longstanding view—and this includes when Labor have been in power and when we have been in power previously—that motions that cannot be amended or debated should not deal with complex foreign policy matters. Australia's relationship with the United States is based on enduring national strategic and economic interests as well as close people-to-people ties developed through business, culture, tourism, trade and education.

What we actually see with this motion today is that the Greens are the sooks of Australian politics. They are the party that do not respect the democratic process. We saw it with their appalling treatment of Senator Hanson and the other One Nation senators. The point of democracy and the point of elections is that sometimes people may get elected who you may disagree with; sometimes people may get elected who you do agree with. But when you come to this mighty chamber, this state's house, it is, at the very least, common courtesy and good manners and, at the very most, a hearty respect towards our democratic traditions that when people are elected and you oppose their views—as diametrically as you are opposed to the views—you respect them.

What we see with the motion, here, is that our good friends, our good allies, the United States had an election, a few weeks ago, a very exciting election. Sadly, for the Greens and the travellers on the left, their preferred candidate was not elected. To their shock and horror the great people of that great American democracy voted for someone they disagree with. It is not up to the Greens to use this chamber, in the manner that they are doing today, to move this motion to dissect the relationship between Australia and the United States.

President-elect Donald Trump and vice-president elect Pence have not taken office. They will not take office until 20 January 2017. It is premature, at the very least, for the Greens to be moving such motions when the President has not taken office. What would be more beneficial for the relationship between Australia and the United States than moving a motion like this would be to sit down and respect the American people for the decision they made several weeks ago in the election of their President.

I say to the American people: good on you for choosing President-elect Trump, because if you believe in democracy—I suspect the Greens do not believe in democracy unless it is the type of democracy where it is a Greens one-party state, where the only views you can have are those of the Greens and the only people you can vote for are the Greens; otherwise, you do not like the outcome and you do not like the views that have been expressed.

What is disappointing is that you talk a certain talk but you never deliver that, in terms of your treatment of the One Nation senators here in this chamber. I am not here to defend One Nation. They can look after themselves. But I think there should be a certain courtesy in this place, a respect we give towards the democratic process and a respect we give to our American cousins who, only two weeks ago, elected Mr Trump to the great office of President of the United States. That is so complex and wonderful it cannot be dealt with in a motion moved here today.