LIBERAL PARTY

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:37): I rise today to highlight how the nasty, caustic attitude of and the hatred within the Liberal Party is preventing members opposite from becoming a viable opposition in this state. My good friend Mr Finnigan is very often attacked by the opposition because he comes from the STA, headed by Don Farrell, who is now a senator elect. The Labor Party does have factions. We have a right and a left faction—we to used have a centre left faction, which is no more—and they have always served this state—

The Hon. R.D. Lawson interjecting:

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins): Order! The Hon. Mr Lawson will cease interjecting.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: They do not like hearing the truth, Mr Acting President; they have hidden behind a facade for so long. Within the Labor Party, the factions have served the party quite well, because people of like mind have got together and debated our issues and policies. But once they have reached that position, they move together as one. Of course, with the Liberal Party, the difference is that their hatred goes back generations; it is actually inherited from their fathers and their mothers—

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: Are you talking about me? My parents are migrants. What are you talking about?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: I am talking about the Liberal Party. The classic example would be the Chapman and Evans families, where the fathers, Stan and Ted, have brought up their children to hate each other to such an extent—

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable member is referring to former members of the chamber, one of whom is deceased. The honourable member might like to continue with a little more decorum.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: With respect, their children have come into this parliament hating each other to such an extent that it prevents them from joining together to achieve decent policies for this state. The classic example is when Iain Evans was made leader of the party and Vickie Chapman was made deputy leader. Of course, both of them are members of another place—

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Order! It is appropriate to refer to members in another place in an appropriate manner rather than by their Christian name and surname.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: It got to a situation where, when Mr Evans from another place, who was actually doing quite a good job at the time, was in Canberra at a memorial service for the late Ms Jeannie Ferris, Vickie Chapman organised the night of the long knives, which resulted in the Hon. Mr Evans being dumped as leader.

I remember listening to a Liberal Party member in the bar one day trying to attach a bit of honour to their party's divisions and generational hatred by comparing them to the Scottish clans. I must say that what it brought to my mind more resembled the old American hillbillies, the Clemet's and the McDonald's, who have been feuding and killing each other for generations.

If you ask a Liberal member, 'Exactly what are you feuding over?', they cannot even remember what the original problem was. We now have a situation where one of the most talented people on the opposition bench—

An honourable member interjecting:

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: —Mr Wade, is being attacked for his preselection because of the hatred between the wets and the dries in the Liberal Party. Mr Simon Birmingham and Cory Bernardi—

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Order! I remind the member that he is talking about senators, and he should refer to them by their proper titles.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Senators Bernardi and Birmingham are currently looking at new rules to make the Liberal Party more democratic. Just a suggestion for our friends on the opposite side: if you introduced PR—

Members interjecting:

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Order! Members on my left will remain silent.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: If you introduce PR, people such as the Hon. Mr Wade would be protected, because his faction would be able to preselect Mr Wade in its own right. You should take that on board and tell your leadership that if you are truly trying to make your party democratic and not just another facade—

The ACTING PRESIDENT: Refer to the chair.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: All right, Mr Acting President, if you would, please advise the opposition that, if they introduce PR, they would be in a much better place to protect the great talents of the Hon. Mr Wade.

Time expired.