The Senate has moved to accept a report on Opposition Senator Anil Roberts for remarks he made about the Senate and its president, Christine Kangaloo.
The report was compiled by the Senate's's Privileges Committee about remarks Roberts made during two episodes of his Douglar Politics social media programme on February 23 and 26.
In the programmes Roberts referred to the Senate as a "kangaroo court," in a perceived jab at Kangaloo.
All government senators voted in support of adopting the report.
In his closing remarks to the debate, Leader of Government Business Clarence Rambharat said the Opposition did not put forward a proper defence for Roberts' conduct and chided its members for making "fairytale" excuses in their contributions.
On Opposition Senator Damian Lyder's assertion that Roberts made the "kangaroo court" remark in reference to the Australian national cricket team and not the Senate President, Rambharat said it was ridiculous.
"I have three children, I've heard a lot of fairytales in my life. I've read a lot of them – I still read them.
"But for a big man, an adult in a Parliament, given 30 minutes to say Senator Roberts is a sports fan, a cricket fan, around that time the Australians were playing – I mean they invented the term 'cock and bull' for a story like that –and I would add another word to 'bull,' given the chance.
"As my colleague Senator Bethelmy said, (they are) wasting precious time, wasting 30 minutes with a cock-and-bull, stupid kangaroo story."
Rambharat also responded to arguments put forward by Opposition Senators and attorneys accusing the Senate of curtailing Roberts' freedom of speech. He argued that it was natural for the Parliament's standing orders to restrict certain comments.
"You can't come in here and say what you want...however you want. You can go on the sidewalk and do that, or maybe Douglar Politics, but not here.
"When you get into this House, no matter how many times you have been to the Privy Council, the (Senate) President maintains the order in this House.
"Not one of us who has been told to sit down or leave the chamber goes out of the Senate (and) went to the court to say, 'My personal rights were infringed.'"
Rambharat also said the attacks on Kangaloo were sexist and malicious as he urged the Senate to adopt the report.
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