Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to reflect on a few remarks made earlier today in the MPI by Senator Milne, whom I always listen to. Indeed, she often says many interesting things and I respect the debate even if I rarely agree with her. But to compare, as she did in today's debate, the human rights record of John Howard and the Howard government with Joseph Stalin, was pathetic and disgraceful—not because John Howard would care and not, quite frankly, because the coalition cares but because it is an insult to the 70 million people that communism killed in the 20th century. The 20th century was a slaughterhouse largely because of communism and the idea of comparing John Howard with Joseph Stalin is a disgrace to the chamber. I just hope in future that the Greens remember that.