Senate debates

Monday, 28 November 2022

Statements by Senators

Victoria: Election

1:39 pm

Photo of Malcolm RobertsMalcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | | Hansard source

At this morning's national prayer breakfast, a young Queensland servicewoman, a vibrant woman whose name I will post when it comes through, called on our leaders to show the power of love rather than the love of power. Amen to that. We have seen enough love of power these last three years to last a lifetime. Australians in Victoria went to the polls on Saturday to sit in judgement on one of the most controversial of those actions. Good and decent Australians chose not to judge the past and instead to look to the future, and we must accept that decision.

The research and science now underway will decide the truth and consequences of our COVID response. This must be in the context of a royal commission whose politics can be excluded and truth determined. I hope the parties that introduced these measures will have the courage to allow fair and impartial scrutiny, and demonstrate the power of love of the people. No matter the outcome of that royal commission, Australia has a tremendous challenge ahead: to heal the wounds of our COVID response; to tend to the sick, no matter the cause; to unite families divided physically and philosophically; and to put this beautiful country of ours back the way it was so that we can once again call ourselves the lucky country.

The anger at the booths on the weekend and on social media is not helping. The time for vitriol and division is over. One Nation will assist this parliament in framing legislation that makes clear the responsibilities and obligations on each level of government, parliamentary and administrative, the next time our nation is tested. It would be a failure of oversight for the Senate not to sort out the governance. We will offer our vision for bringing Australia back together as a community: a vision to build, to grow and to uplift all who call our beautiful nation home.

One Nation did record a very strong start to our presence in Victoria, and I thank our candidates and supporters for all their hard work. Thank you. We have one flag, we are one community, we are One Nation together.