Page 3532 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 2010
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MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I do not believe there is a point of order here. Mr Hargreaves, you have the floor.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. What we are actually seeing is the politics of distraction—that is, trying to distract our minds away from the real issue. The real issue is that somebody who is running for public office is absolutely scared witless that they might not get elected. As I understand it, as I am reading it, the Liberal Party over here are attacking the policies of the Greens as they may affect the ACT. For a person from the Liberal Party who would be the great defender of that—
Mr Hanson: Are you apologising for the Greens?
MR HARGREAVES: Beg your pardon?
Mr Hanson: Are you apologising for the Greens?
MR HARGREAVES: Madam Assistant Speaker, Mr Hanson asks if I am apologising on behalf of the Greens. Let me assure Mr Hanson—through you, Madam Assistant Speaker—that I have not, and will not apologise to anybody. It was some great Labor bloke who said, “Never explain and never apologise.” Well, I am him. Suits me.
Mr Hanson: Are you defending the Greens?
MR HARGREAVES: I am not defending anybody, but I am suggesting that these guys are like rabbits staring at a Mack truck on the highway. Who is the rabbit? It is not Brer Rabbit. It is not Mr Rabbit. In fact, it is Senator Humphries. Now, he has never needed support from this place. He was a very popular individual here and he won a succession of elections—did not need anybody else’s help. And then he went into the Senate, and guess what?
Mr Smyth: On a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, the member has now been going for 3½ minutes.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Please stop the clocks.
Mr Smyth: He has made no reference to the motion as such, and I ask you to direct him to be relevant.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Smyth. There is no point of order.
MR HARGREAVES: On the point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, I actually have referred to this motion. I have, in fact, referred to the very motion which is in my hands.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves. Please start the clocks again. Mr Hargreaves, you have the floor.
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