Senator FIFIELD (Victoria—Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Assistant Minister for Social Services) (15:08): The phrase that comes to mind right now is 'hypocrisy, thy name is Labor'. Senator Conroy: Oh, look in a mirror. The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy. Senator FIFIELD: We have heard day in, day out from Senator Wong and Senator Conroy about what they state to be the management capacity of those on this side of the chamber. The reality is that those opposite have given up any of the basic courtesies or protocols or understandings in this place that make it work. Even the worst opposition—which I think those opposite are—usually can find it within themselves to recognise that there is a public interest greater than themselves to be served in this place through agreement on certain pieces of legislation and on when the Senate will sit. I have seen a few things that I have never seen before this week. Today, there was a first, and that was seeing the Selection of Bills Committee report adoption motion filibustered. That is a new one. I have not seen that before. Even when the government indicated that we were not going to seek to divide on an amendment to that report which those opposite were moving, they filibustered the selection of bills committee report adoption. That is a new one. Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, you have made your contribution. Senator FIFIELD: Then there was the one that I spoke about at some length earlier this week— Senator Wong: We gave you notice at 11 o'clock last night. You have no-one to blame but yourself. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong. Senator FIFIELD: when, during the leaders, managers and whips meeting, Senator Conroy on behalf of Senator Wong pulled a stunt that we have never seen before. He used that meeting—which is meant to be all about cooperation—as a cover for bringing on the omnibus repeal day bill so that they could move amendments to do with submarine tenders, which was countermanding the agreement that had already been reached with those opposite about the rearrangement of business. Senator Conroy: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The senator is clearly misleading this chamber, and I ask you— The PRESIDENT: That is a debating point. Senator Conroy: to call him to order, because it is not allowed under standing orders to mislead the chamber like that. The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order; you are debating the matter. Senator FIFIELD: What I was referring to was a breach of agreement, where it was agreed with those opposite and the Australian Greens as to what the reordering of business would be. Our word on those matters should be something that can be trusted. What did those opposite do? They spent the night up-ending government business time and denying the government the time to debate its agenda. So we on this side are not going to cop that there is some lack of capacity to manage this place, because when you do not have the numbers in your own right in this place, chamber management is a shared responsibility—a responsibility that you abrogate. That is why Senator Abetz has sought to suspend standing orders so— Senator Wong: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. If it is a shared responsibility, why does the manager not talk to anyone? The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order; it is a debating point. Senator FIFIELD: Because of how the opposition have conducted themselves, Senator Abetz has been put in the position where he is seeking to suspend standing orders so that he can move a rearrangement of business—and it is a very modest rearrangement of business. It seeks to have one bill debate—one bill—and those opposite cannot even bring themselves to allow the government of the day to have one bill debated on the last sitting day of the year. That is how low they have sunk. This is a very modest proposition to rearrange business—to suspend standing orders so that Senator Abetz can move a motion to debate the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014. That is what this procedural motion is about. It is the government seeking to make up for the acts of those opposite to deny the government of the day the opportunity to debate in an orderly fashion its legislative program. Indeed, we even saw in non-controversial business time today the opposition undertaking filibusters. Senator Conroy: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Could you ask the minister to address the chair? The PRESIDENT: Minister, I remind all senators that all comments go to the chair and not across the chamber, but I did not detect the minister overtly doing that. Senator Kim Carr: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I do not think that it is appropriate that the government misrepresent the opposition. He has just made a claim about us speaking for 20 minutes— The PRESIDENT: That is a debating point, Senator Carr. Senator FIFIELD: The opposition have even dispensed with the custom in this place to give short, sharp speeches in non-controversial bill time so that those things we can agree upon can be facilitated. We did not get to conclude that list of legislation as a result. Mr President, you know you always have my fevered and rapt attention. As always, I am directing my comments to you. I just hope those opposite listen. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, and I remind you to direct your remarks to the chair.