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Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Page: 5203

Senator CASH (Western Australia) (15:43): by leave—In relation to the Greens motion, what we have before us is the Greens yet again pushing their publicity buttons and desperately angling for some media exposure by putting forward a motion asking the Senate to uphold democratic principles. Will wonders never cease! This is without a doubt one of the greatest examples of Greens hypocrisy that the Senate has ever seen. Why? The only party in this Senate which does not believe in consistently upholding the principles of democracy is the Greens.

It is interesting that the Greens had originally worded their motion in a vague and general manner, because we all know that when the Greens couch motions in such a way there is usually a dangerous sting in the tail of it—and do not let us forget Senator Bob Brown's ominous words about the Greens agenda. The Greens are recreating Australia for the new century street by street, community by community, city by city, and in relation to their failure—

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, I just remind you that you sought leave to make a short statement and you have ventured into debate on the matter.

Senator CASH: Today's motion is nothing more and nothing less than code for the type of consumer boycott and intimidation campaigns that GetUp!, another left-wing Greens front, has been running for example against Harvey Norman or the one threatened by GetUp!—

Senator Ludwig: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. You said to Senator Cash that she was extending from an invitation to make a short statement for two minutes. It then appeared that we were entertaining a debate in relation to the motion. I would submit that this is not the time for a debate to occur in relation to the motion. It is out of order. It is an opportunity for people to explain something about the motion rather than take a two-minute opportunity to read a written speech into the record.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I remind Senator Cash that it is a statement that she sought leave to make. I remind all senators to read the Procedure Committee report in relation to this time of day in the Senate.

Senator CASH: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. I was addressing the motion, and making a statement in relation to it because the Greens deliberately had not spelt out exactly what the motion was about. What we know when it comes to the Greens is that you actually need to look behind the motion. This motion is nothing more and nothing less than code for the type of consumer boycott and intimidation campaigns that GetUp! have been running—for example, against Harvey Norman—or the one threatened by GetUp! against companies represented by Kate Carnell of the Australian Food and Grocery Council. They are merely thinking of joining the anti carbon tax group, but the Greens, in this motion, are too gutless to spell that out.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, you have debated the motion again. You have 12 seconds left to complete your statement.

Senator CASH: Motions of this kind that are subtly worded by the Greens should be heeded by all those who believe that the Greens are nothing but a cuddly, benign environmental party. They are actually nothing but.