Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (15:07): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment (Senator Birmingham) to questions without notice asked by Senators Marielle Smith and Sheldon today relating to coal-fired power stations. I don't know where to start. I don't know if I should be standing with a top hat, singing like the circus leader: 'Gather round, everyone!' What was it? 'Roll up, roll up, roll up!' But I've got to say this very clearly. In all the moons that I've served in here, I have not seen a situation like the one we find ourselves as a nation in here today. Never before have I seen the coalition at each other's throats, whether it be over coal, promotions, leadership or rorts within the sports portfolio. Senator McKenzie is leaving, but I've got to say this: I reckon you're the fall guy, Senator McKenzie. I honestly believe you're the fall guy. There's no way you acted on your own with coloured bits of paper to make sure that there was rorting. I'll tell you how bad it's got: it's got so bad that all the Nats have been relegated down to this end of the chamber and even Senator Henderson got promoted up. How badly are they going over that side? What an absolute rort! Senator Henderson: Madam Deputy President, I rise on a point of order: the senator has reflected on Senator McKenzie in relation to her leaving the chamber, which is in defiance of the standing orders, and I would ask that he withdraw his comment and ensure that he doesn't reflect on her or any other senator in that way again. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Henderson. If you check the record, you will see that I often remind senators of that convention—it's not a standing order—and I would have reminded Senator Sterle at the conclusion of his contribution. Please continue, Senator Sterle, and bear in mind the point. Senator STERLE: I will do that with pleasure, because I don't have to defend anyone over there, because that just goes to show there is no coalition over there. What we clearly have here in the rural and regional areas—and I think there are some decent people in the Nats. I think there really are some decent people who have come here to try and do good. The trouble is that the circus is being led by the clowns. Never before have we seen such white hot anger. Never before have we seen this carry-on going on between the Nats and the Libs. I honestly believe—for you, Madam Deputy President, and others that are listening—that they may be tigers out there in the bush but, for crying out loud, they're pussycats when they come here to Canberra. The only thing that they will stand up and fight for is their own personal pay packet. Look at the choice that they have—the choice of Mr McCormack. I don't know where his friends come from, but he dug a few up the other day. It's amazing what you can do to win a vote when you get the opportunity to offer ministries and assistant ministries. It's amazing how much they are at each other's throats. They hate each other. I don't know if that's a word I can use, but I can't think of anything else. There is a very famous saying in politics that I think of when I look at the carry-on between the Libs and the Nats: if you can't govern yourself, how the hell can you govern the nation? The more they sit back and tear each other apart, the more they have the former leader, the member for New England, Mr Joyce, proudly saying, on the one hand, 'If I'm called to arms I'll stand up.' He was busily working the phones—surprise, surprise! He was called to arms. He couldn't even count 11. I know that, unfairly, Senator Cormann gets tagged as being the powerbroker, and he couldn't get that magical number, whatever it was, in the Liberal Party at the time. But it was a lot more than 11. In the next breath, Mr Joyce says: 'I won't challenge again. I'm only interested in having a strong National Party, and we're in a coalition.' How long did that last—17 hours?—before the headline about Joyce and Co. and the breakaway group and what they're going to do to demand coal-fired plants? What happened to the days when the good old Country Party used to stand up for farmers? Where is the good old Country Party—even those as recent as Senator Boswell—that actually stood up for Australia's food producers? Where are those country members now? They are long, long gone. There are a couple of members in the Nats who actually come here with dirt under their fingernails—and that's a nice thing to have, because it proves they've worked for a living—but, by crikey, they're starting to fall into the same trap as the Libs: go through university, go and work in a parliamentary office, run for the state secretaryship of your party or whatever it may be, and come in here with no skills. I'm not looking at you two, Senator McDonald and Senator McMahon. You just happen to be there because the others were out of here like a rat up a drain. They've absolutely absconded, because they fall into that trap. Senator Henderson interjecting— Senator STERLE: You be careful too. You be very careful what you wish for, Senator Henderson. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, address your comments to the chair. Senator STERLE: Isn't that amazing! If only they had that much unity in anger. Where are you at trying to get the pups back into the kennel? Senator Henderson: It's love! There's so much love, Senator Sterle! Senator STERLE: It's just: 'How can I get a promotion?' Keep carrying on; I'm enjoying every bit. You know how we've got Aussie's here? I wish we had a popcorn-vending machine, because of the entertainment. There shouldn't be, but there's so much entertainment. But, at the same time, how embarrassing for this nation! Look at the distress and the hatred. I've just travelled the nation doing an inquiry into the Inland Rail. One minute Mr Joyce, while he's trying to take out Mr McCormack, is talking about how it's great—'We've delivered the Inland Rail.' Well, I've got to tell you: I went to one town, Millmerran, and there is nothing great about that. You know what, Nats? I've got to tell you: cut the umbilical cord. You're chucking the toys out of the cot, but this mob aren't your mates. This mob have no intention of looking after rural and regional people. These people love your vote. You're going the wrong way. (Time expired)