Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (09:31): I seek leave to move a motion which would allow Senator Sarah Hanson-Young to explain to the Senate for five minutes her contact with the Commonwealth Ombudsman and questions at Senate estimates arising therefrom. Leave not granted. Senator ABETZ: Pursuant to contingent notice, I move: That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion to allow Senator Sarah Hanson-Young to explain to the Senate for five minutes her contact with the Commonwealth Ombudsman and questions at Senate estimates arising therefrom. In moving this motion, let me say it has been well accepted practice that people will from time to time have contact with witnesses that appear before Senate estimates. That is accepted practice. But what is unbelievable is the gross hypocrisy of the Australian Greens, because two years ago Senator Bob Brown, the Leader of the Australian Greens, said that if you do something like that you should have the decency to warn the committee, to tell the committee beforehand that you have had such contact. It is a bit like corporate donations, isn't it? Corporate donations are horrendous, they are bad and they corrupt the democratic process, unless the Greens are the beneficiaries of that donation. Similarly it seems that it is a corruption of the democratic process to have contact with a witness before Senate estimates unless you are a Greens senator. Then it is all okay. The hypocrisy is rank, the hypocrisy is transparent, and the Australian people are finally waking up to how the Greens do their politics. It is deceptive, it is dishonest, it is duplicitous. It is exactly what the Greens represent in this place: one standard for everybody else and a completely different standard, or should I say no standards whatsoever, for the Australian Greens. That is why Senator Hanson-Young should come into this place, not so much to explain what she has done but to explain the rank hypocrisy of the Australian Greens as was displayed by the Leader and his deputy leader of the Australian Greens and indeed by the Australian Labor Party. It is so indicative that Senator Milne, who was more than willing to pontificate two years ago when a coalition senator found himself in that place, at the doorstop this morning said, 'Senator Brown and Senator Hanson-Young will be discussing that.' She did not want to talk about the rank hypocrisy. And we know why: because Senator Hanson-Young is challenging her for the deputy leadership of the Australian Greens. That is why she was not willing to defend Senator Hanson-Young, and of course you cannot defend the hypocrisy of the Australian Greens. The Australian people are slowly but surely waking up to this hypocrisy, this duplicity, this double standard— Senator McEwen: You can talk about hypocrisy! Senator ABETZ: Yes, Senator McEwen, we will continue to highlight hypocrisy and duplicity as shown by the Labor Party in going to an election saying no carbon tax and then conniving with the Greens to bring in a carbon tax. Unfortunately the Labor Party has caught the green disease. They think they can say one thing and then do something completely different. That is why I have warned the Labor Party time and time again that if you lie down with dogs you will get up with fleas. You have lain down with the Australian Greens and you now have the fleas of duplicity and betrayal of the Australian people on your fur. You know what? I hope the Australian people de-flea you very shortly. But they will also, hopefully, get rid of this government and allow sensible government and mature government to be restored to this country. Back to the matter at hand. The Australian Greens and Senator Hanson-Young do need to explain to the Australian people why it is so outrageous, why it is so improper, for a coalition senator to have contact with a public servant prior to a Senate estimates hearing but it is all okay when an Australian Green does it. It is the hypocrisy, and that is what the Australian Greens stand for. It is hypocrisy writ large and we have seen it again. Of course, what was the only media outlet willing to really give it a good run? The Australian—the 'hate media', because any media outlet that exposes the duplicity, the hypocrisy and the dishonesty is labelled the hate media and threatened with an inquiry and threatened with licences. Opposition senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senators on my left, Senator Bob Brown is entitled to be heard in silence.