Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

At risk of taking a fact checker to what Senator Allman-Payne has just shouted at the chamber—I mean, there are microphones in place for the purposes of ensuring that everybody can hear what you say—the reality is the Greens have never had to balance a budget, Senator Allman-Payne. I don't know what is factually untrue about that. Nothing. You haven't.

I accept it's the Greens political party's position to diminish national security and defence of the country—that is the position you bring into this chamber on a daily basis. We have a different view. We think it is the Australian government's responsibility to keep its citizens safe and ensure appropriate resourcing for national security and defence purposes. I accept you disagree with that as a priority, and I accept that if you were putting a budget together you would make different budget decisions, but you have never had to make those choices. Senator Allman-Payne you have never, ever had to make them. You have never had to make them, so you dance in here, in the fairyland that the Greens political party lives in, failing to understand—

Senator Shoebridge interjecting—

 I can't hear Senator Shoebridge, but I know he continuously interjects.