Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

That's fine—two minutes. It's a further silencing of democracy, and it's the further silencing of the right of those in the non-government side of the chamber to actually have a bill brought forward in their private senators time—it is the opposition's private senators time today—and debated. This morning, colleagues saw this government come to the chamber and discharge a bill that would have given Australians the right to access information from them. What are we now looking at? This government has just silenced the opposition from bringing forward a bill that is fundamentally important to the national security of Australians.

We all know why. It is because this government fundamentally lacks transparency—in particular, when it comes to the return of the ISIS brides. Let's not forget who these women are. They are women who fundamentally turned their backs on Australia. They turned their backs on Australian values, and they made a choice to go overseas and join an Islamic caliphate—a caliphate that slaughters people, a caliphate that tortures people. And this government throws its hands up and says, 'There's nothing we can do.' Well, guess what: we're calling you out on that. There is something you can do. You can actually support the bill that Senator Jonathon Duniam has brought before the chamber, a bill that would ensure that, with Mr Tony Burke's mate Dr Jamal Rifi currently over there facilitating the return of the ISIS brides, that is made a criminal offence. What a complete joke.

This is a government that says there's nothing they can do. Well, I say you need to think a little bit more creatively and perhaps get the opposition to help you. I tell you, this is an opposition, with this portfolio led by Senator Duniam, who will always put the Australian people first. We will shut the door on ISIS brides who sought to leave this country, turn their back on the great Australian values and join a terrorist cult. Shut the door. And shame on you for denying us that time. (Time expired)