Shoebridge, Sen David

Senator SHOEBRIDGE (New South Wales) (11:10): This motion is an extraordinary misrepresentation of the position adopted by the party. Rather bizarrely, the motion is being moved to prevent the second reading contribution that I'm keen to give on the bill. Rather than me being able to give a second reading contribution on the bill, we're dealing with a suspension motion. The suspension motion will then become a substantive motion. The substantive motion will then take an hour and prevent a substantive contribution to the second reading debate. Is that seriously the coalition's point? Do you want to spend the next hour preventing the second reading contribution that I want to give on the bill by saying, 'We're not giving a second reading contribution on the bill'? Who in your tactics team came up with that grand plan? No wonder there's a sea of media representatives out there— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Chandler ): Order! Through the chair, Senator Shoebridge. Senator SHOEBRIDGE: They are watching Senator Birmingham's cunning plan to prevent me speaking on a bill and saying that you want to prevent us speaking on a bill. Look at the sea of cameras waiting to see the cunning Birmingham plan, saying how you're preventing me from speaking on a bill. You want me to speak on a bill, but you don't want me to speak on the bill. And you want to have another debate after this, to prevent me from speaking on the bill. Who is the genius in the coalition party room who came up with this? All credit to you. It's probably the same genius who's giving Senator Watt the idea to respond to a substantive issue with memes. The government's response to a substantive issue, and issues of principle, is a bunch of Labor Party memes. Let's be clear what we're not talking about here. The Greens have said, from day one, in every instance where issues of principle come before this parliament, that we will always oppose violence in the workplace and always support action to address sexism and misogyny—every single time. There are no doubt issues—and we would like to get to this discussion in the second reading debate—incredibly important and very concerning issues about union behaviour. They're absolutely, deeply concerning. But we're not talking about them now; we're talking about the Simon Birmingham double-triple pike with half belly flop into the water that you want to spend the next hour doing. This is zero points for difficulty from the judging panel for your half-triple pike attempt to prevent the matter coming on for debate—zero points for difficulty and, in fact, zero points for style or substance. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Shoebridge. Senator McKenzie, on a point of order. Senator McKenzie: I'm the senator that actually wanted to speak about the substantive issues in this motion, which is about the Greens' inability to land their own position, and to have Senator Shoebridge have the opportunity to state— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator McKenzie, could you please get to the point of order? Was there a point of order? Senator McKenzie: Irrelevance. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Shoebridge, you do have to be relevant to the suspension motion, not the substantive motion, so I would guide you to direct your comments thus. Senator McKenzie interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator McKenzie! Senator Shoebridge. Senator SHOEBRIDGE: Indeed. On suspension, the question before the house is: what should be more important, this suspension motion or the actual list of business before the house? And what's No. 1 on the list of business before the house? The very bill that the suspension motion is saying we're not speaking to. It couldn't be more important. So I thank you for your direction, Acting Deputy President, and, through that, your endorsement of the position we're taking about the Birmingham double-pike belly flop that is being proposed here. We have said—and I would like to be in a position to say them in more detail—the very real concerns we have about the principles behind this bill. The extraordinary amount of power that has been— Senator McKenzie interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Chandler ): Order, Senator McKenzie. Senator Shoebridge? Senator SHOEBRIDGE: The extraordinary power that's being proposed to be given to a minister of either this government or the next government over a union—and if they can do it over a union, they can do it over an NGO; if they can do it over an NGO, they can do it over any other part of civil society. Do we have issues of principle with that? Absolutely we have issues of principle and concern about that. Absolutely we do. Have we reached out to the government and offered our concerns, offered substantive amendments to have it— Senator McKenzie: What about the thuggery, the sexism, the bullying, the corruption? Silence from the Greens— Senator McKim: Weren't you listening? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator McKenzie. Senator Shoebridge. Senator SHOEBRIDGE: Have we done that? Absolutely. If you want to talk about donations, the Greens have not accepted a cent from the CFMEU since 2013, while millions and millions and millions of dollars have gone to Senator Watt's party. And it is only— Senator McKenzie interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Shoebridge. I have Senator Birmingham on his feet. Senator McKenzie, I would like to hear what Senator Birmingham has to say. Senator Birmingham. Senator Birmingham: On a point of order, I'd just like to invite Senator Shoebridge to finish that statement with the words, 'And nor will we.' The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Birmingham. That's not a point of order, and I think you are aware of that. Senator Shoebridge. Senator SHOEBRIDGE: So he has finished his belly flop now with a dog paddle in the pool. That's what that was—a belly flop followed by a dog paddle in the pool. It's embarrassing to watch. We have not taken a cent from the CFMEU since 2013. Senator Watt's party has taken millions and millions and millions of dollars. We have the most ethical donations— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Shoebridge. Your time has expired. Senator Watt, you have the call— Senator Shoebridge interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Shoebridge, you will sit down when I say that your time has expired. Senator Watt, you have the call.