Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Hansard source

On the issue of the NBN, I heard Senator O'Neill saying that the NBN is a lemon. It is a lemon, but what the Labor Party doesn't understand is that it was their lemon first, and at least the government has tried to make lemonade out of it. I find it surprising that people during question time waste their questions. Senator Fifield was attempting to answer the question and trying to answer it correctly with his version of the facts. But it shouldn't surprise me when it comes to question time and answering questions like this. Even Senator Cormann today, in answering a question I was putting through him to the Minister for Defence, said that my question was 'bordering on inappropriate'. I suppose he would think it was bordering on inappropriate when the Dorothy Dixers on his side of the chamber come up and the first question is usually some anodyne, milquetoast Dorothy Dixer that that side puts up. Question No. 1 is a milk sop, question No. 2 is usually just excruciatingly boring and question No. 3 is some saccharine sort of press release. If we get rid of questions Nos 2 and 3 in question time, we could get more questions in, we could have more transparency from the government, and the Labor Party on the opposition benches and the crossbench especially would be happier for it.

Question agreed to.