Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

If you asked me to withdraw—even though we're not quite sure what we're withdrawing—I withdraw it unreservedly.

Senators over there don't understand their responsibilities to the parliament, but there are, in this portfolio alone, 3,995 pages worth of documents. That is the entire length of the normal edition of The Lord of the Rings three times over—sought by people who will never read it, who have never opened any of this material in their lives. It's four times the length of Odgers' 14th edition—sought by people who've never opened it. I have to correct the record for yesterday. I did say that it was eight times the length of Senator Bragg's latest self-published book—and that was very unfair. It's 16 times the length of Senator Bragg's self-published book.

The truth is, what is this all about? It's this anxiety and antipathy from Senator Payman and Senator Bragg, who don't want young people to be able to access five per cent deposits. They're hostile to the interests of young Australians who want to get a foot on the ladder. That is a disappointing attitude, but it's the kind of attitude that's consumed the Liberal Party for its whole life, and it's the only strain of consistency that you can see amongst them.