

- Title
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Wentworth By-Election
- Database
Senate Hansard
- Date
15-10-2018
- Source
Senate
- Parl No.
45
- Electorate
- Interjector
PRESIDENT, The
Cameron, Sen Doug
- Page
7078
- Party
ALP
- Presenter
- Status
Final
- Question No.
- Questioner
Cameron, Sen Doug
- Responder
Cormann, Sen Mathias
- Speaker
- Stage
Wentworth By-Election
- Type
- Context
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
- System Id
chamber/hansards/d7fb77b1-0930-425d-ad2a-6fd86946e453/0054


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-
Hansard
- Start of Business
- DOCUMENTS
- COMMITTEES
- PRIVILEGE
- MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS
- MOTIONS
- BUSINESS
-
BILLS
- Criminal Code and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Commonwealth Restrictions on Cannabis) Bill 2018
- Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
- DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
-
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
-
Small Business
(Brockman, Sen Slade, Cash, Sen Michaelia) -
Religious Freedom Review
(Pratt, Sen Louise, Cormann, Sen Mathias) -
Trade
(Molan, Sen Jim, Birmingham, Sen Simon) -
Climate Change
(Di Natale, Sen Richard, Cormann, Sen Mathias) -
Wentworth By-Election
(Cameron, Sen Doug, Cormann, Sen Mathias) -
Police Grants
(Georgiou, Sen Peter, Cash, Sen Michaelia) -
Telecommunications
(Smith, Sen Dean, McKenzie, Sen Bridget) -
Great Barrier Reef Foundation
(Keneally, Sen Kristina, Cormann, Sen Mathias) -
Death Penalty
(Abetz, Sen Eric, Payne, Sen Marise) -
Asylum Seekers
(McKim, Sen Nicholas, Cash, Sen Michaelia) -
Goods and Services Tax
(Brown, Sen Carol, Cormann, Sen Mathias)
-
Small Business
- DOCUMENTS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
- CONDOLENCES
- NOTICES
- BUSINESS
- NOTICES
- COMMITTEES
- MOTIONS
- NOTICES
- BILLS
- NOTICES
- DOCUMENTS
- MOTIONS
- MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
- DOCUMENTS
- DOCUMENTS
- COMMITTEES
- BILLS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- COMMITTEES
- BILLS
- COMMITTEES
-
BILLS
- Criminal Code Amendment (Food Contamination) Bill 2018, A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018, Medicare Levy Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018, Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, Aged Care (Single Quality Framework) Reform Bill 2018, Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment Bill 2018, Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Bill 2018, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Amendment Bill 2018, Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding for Proprietary Companies) Bill 2017, Airports Amendment Bill 2018, Imported Food Control Amendment Bill 2017, Treasury Laws Amendment (Accelerated Depreciation for Small Business Entities) Bill 2018, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Student Reform) Bill 2018, Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) Bill 2018, Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018, Education and Other Legislation Amendment (VET Student Loan Debt Separation) Bill 2018, Student Loans (Overseas Debtors Repayment Levy) Amendment Bill 2018, Bankruptcy Amendment (Debt Agreement Reform) Bill 2018, Excise Levies Legislation Amendment (Honey) Bill 2016, Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018, Treasury Laws Amendment (Black Economy Taskforce Measures No. 1) Bill 2018, Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing ASIC's Capabilities) Bill 2018, Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Australian Farmers) Bill 2018, Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2018, Treasury Laws Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Employer Register) Bill 2017, Unexplained Wealth Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
-
Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018
-
Second Reading
- Whish-Wilson, Sen Peter
- Patrick, Sen Rex
- Wong, Sen Penny
- Di Natale, Sen Richard
- Storer, Sen Timothy
- Faruqi, Sen Mehreen
- Hanson, Sen Pauline
- Griff, Sen Stirling
- Waters, Sen Larissa
- Georgiou, Sen Peter
- Siewert, Sen Rachel
- Leyonhjelm, Sen David
- Rice, Sen Janet
- Birmingham, Sen Simon
- Kitching, Sen Kimberley
- Reynolds, Sen Linda
- Division
- PRESIDENT, The
- Hanson-Young, Sen Sarah
- Division
- PRESIDENT, The
- Division
- In Committee
-
Second Reading
- ADJOURNMENT
- DOCUMENTS
- COMMITTEES
Page: 7078
Wentworth By-Election
Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (14:26): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Former Liberal leader and member for Wentworth, John Hewson, has declared that voters in Wentworth:
… could register a substantial protest vote against the government or any other candidates that don’t understand the magnitude and urgency of the climate change challenge.
If the Liberal party doesn't stand up and argue the case on this, I think people should be encouraged to vote against them.
If even Dr Hewson doesn't think the Liberal government understands the magnitude and urgency of the climate change challenge, why should anyone in Wentworth?
Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:27): Senator Cameron is asking me why the good people in Wentworth should vote for the Liberal candidate. Let me say right up-front: the reason they should vote for Dave Sharma is that he's an outstanding Liberal candidate for Wentworth. He is somebody who has made it from being a first-generation migrant to Australia to representing Australia as an ambassador in Israel, where he did an absolutely outstanding job. If the people of Wentworth put their confidence in Dave Sharma, he will be an outstanding representative for their community here in the Australian parliament.
The PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron, on a point of order.
Senator Cameron: It is on direct relevance. There is one question, and that was: Dr Hewson doesn't think that the voters in Wentworth should be voting Liberal. That was the proposition. Why should they vote Liberal if Dr Hewson doesn't?
The PRESIDENT: The minister is being directly relevant because he is answering the question, albeit not in the way you would like it. I have no capacity to direct him to do so.
Senator CORMANN: Let me just speculate. I'm really not sure when the last time was that Dr Hewson voted Liberal, I have to tell you. With the greatest of respect I would advise the people of Wentworth not to take their lead from Dr Hewson in relation to their vote. Consider the great credentials of Dave Sharma. Consider the great work that our government has done over the last five years, and the contribution that Dave Sharma can make to that work into the future. Obviously, a vote for anyone other than Dave Sharma in Wentworth would be a vote for less certainty and less stability in government, and we would encourage the good people in Wentworth to consider that particular important consideration. On our side, we strongly support Dave Sharma as an absolutely outstanding individual who will make a fantastic contribution in the House of Representatives as the member for Wentworth. I thank Senator Cameron for having given me the opportunity to explain, on the record, why people should vote for Dave Sharma: because he's a great individual who will be a strong voice and do a great job. (Time expired)
The PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron, a supplementary question.
Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (14:30): I again refer to the former Liberal leader John Hewson, who has warned:
But to put their head in the sand on this issue - they just fobbed the IPCC report off, like it doesn’t matter - it's a pretty unsatisfactory position.
Why has the government fobbed off the IPCC report?
Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:30): I don't accept the characterisation of fobbing anything off. Our track record is very clear. We meet our international emissions reduction commitments, and we intend to continue to do so into the future. Senator Cameron references a former Liberal leader. Well, are you going to vote One Nation at the next election, Senator Cameron, because former Labor leader Mark Latham is recommending a vote for One Nation? I mean, are you suggesting that the public expressions of former leaders of your party are what you then intend to do? I disagree respectfully with Dr Hewson. He's a former leader of the Liberal Party; that was a very, very long time ago. He's entitled to his views. I don't agree with him, and I would respectfully ask the people of Wentworth not to follow his lead.
The PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron, a final supplementary question.
Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (14:31): What does the Prime Minister say to Dr Hewson when he asks:
Is it going to take a drubbing in a byelection to get them to do something on climate?
Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:32): You know what? We are doing something on climate. We're doing more than something, in fact.
Senator Cameron: You're doing 'something'!
Senator CORMANN: Well, the question was, 'Are you going to do something?' We're doing more than something; we're meeting and exceeding our international emissions reduction targets. We are meeting and exceeding our international emissions reduction commitments. The Labor Party and the Greens want us to go harder in a way that would hurt the economy, cost jobs, send jobs overseas and damage the opportunity for families around Australia to get ahead in a way that doesn't help address global greenhouse gas emissions, because it will just shift them into other parts of the world where emissions will be higher. The Labor Party and the Greens: it is open to you to pursue policies that will hurt families and do nothing for the environment. We want to do the right thing by the environment in a way that is also sensible for the economy, for jobs and for working families around Australia.