Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, you have. You've done it repeatedly in this chamber and in the press on a regular basis, for which you should be condemned. The hypocrisy on this question is absolutely breathtaking. You don't care who you throw under the bus—even your former trade minister. No wonder he comes out and makes his contempt perfectly clear for the politics that you're now engaging in. Why is it that he says it's quite clear that you're engaging in a shameless and unethical political stunt?

Huang Xiangmo of the Yuhu Group has been a very generous donor to the Liberal Party—over $1 million. Of course, that's on the public record. When they accepted that money it wasn't an act of treason. However, when the Labor Party is engaged with this man, there is a completely different and double standard. When the leader of this government appears in public with these individuals, it's regarded as perfectly legitimate, because it's the Labor Party that's unworthy and Labor politicians that are somehow illegitimate.

This government, because of its desperation, has now in a shocking attempt been reduced to smearing the reputation of Bill Shorten, because he has been so successful. They have so completely underestimated the willingness of the Australian people to engage in a proper conversation about the future direction of this country. You don't care about the consequence: the consequence to our democratic policies; the consequence to our institutions, our universities; and the consequence to our relationship with our No. 1 trading partner. You don't care about the consequence of the misuse of intelligence or the partisan use of the police forces of this country. You'll do anything you can to trash the reputations of individuals and this country's democratic processes. It's a process for which you should hang your head in shame, because it will not work. When Andrew Robb calls you out, you know just how desperate you've become and how shockingly puerile this government is— (Time expired)