Senator CONROY (Victoria—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (15:14): This government has descended into a shambles. Let us go back 12 months: the adults were going to be elected. Remember that proud boast? What a pack of clowns they have become. I think the best demonstration of this comes, in actual fact, from a senator on the crossbenches who votes with the government 99.9 per cent of the time. Senator Leyonhjelm said, 'The government are hopeless at negotiating.' The crossbench senator who is considered most closely aligned with the Liberal Party says the government is hopeless at negotiating. So do not come in here and say the Labor Party has tossed away all of this. You have failed miserably at your own job. The senator who votes for you— Senator Abetz: Mr President, I raise a point of order. Senator Conroy used the word 'you', directing his comments not through the chair but directly across the chamber. He who raises the point of order should surely abide by his own admonition. The PRESIDENT: I remind all senators to direct their comments to the chair. Senator CONROY: I accept your admonition, Mr President. This is what Senator Leyonhjelm had to say—it is particularly relevant at this moment as the government scrambles pathetically to try and piece together a Senate agenda: They're hopeless at making clear what their objectives are, they're hopeless at convincing me to vote for their legislation— I find that a bit shocking, because you are actually voting for 99.9 per cent of the legislation. The PRESIDENT: To the chair, Senator Conroy. Senator Ian Macdonald: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Conroy rightly raised with you not too long ago that he should address all of his remarks through the chair. Can you please ask him to abide by his own admonitions. The PRESIDENT: I remind you, Senator Conroy, to direct your comments to the chair. Senator CONROY: I apologise again. Senator Leyonhjelm went on to say: They have a few exceptions and you think OK, now they've figured it out then they go back to normal again. He went on to say: The government should certainly lift its game. Hear, hear, Senator! The government should certainly lift its game. The PRESIDENT: Through the chair. Senator CONROY: Through the chair, of course, Mr President. He went on to say, through the chair: They haven't got any alternative ideas. That is what Senator Leyonhjelm said, Mr President: 'They haven't got any alternative ideas.' He said: There's two years to go to an election ... so they say there's plenty of time to put forward their policies. And he went on to say: It's kind of like the old joke about going to the dentist and you reach up under his jacket and you grab him by his delicate parts and you squeeze a little bit and say we're not going to hurt each other are we. Through you, Mr President, Senator Leyonhjelm said: My advice to Tony Abbott— Mr Tony Abbott, but Senator Leyonhjelm called him Tony Abbott— is, let's not hurt each other. The fundamental point of this very eloquent explanation is that this government is a shambles. We see it from the head down. We see it in the way the Minister for Foreign Affairs stormed into the Prime Minister's office just this week and, I am quoting a Liberal party person, 'she went bananas.' Why did she go bananas? Because the Prime Minister's office had briefed the media that she was not up to the job of defending Australia's interests at Lima and needed a chaperone. She needed Mr Robb to attend. Senator Macdonald is on his feet again because he has lost the plot, as usual. The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, withdraw that. Senator CONROY: I certainly withdraw that. Senator Ian Macdonald: Mr President, a point of order on relevance: I know we allow a little bit of latitude in these motions to set aside standing orders, but talking about what someone said about Ms Bishop, the best foreign minister this country has had for a long period of time, can hardly— Senator Conroy: That’s not what Peta Credlin thinks! Senator Cameron: Why does she need a chaperone? The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Conroy and Senator Cameron! Senator Fifield and Senator Xenophon, could you just move? I cannot see Senator Macdonald. Senator Ian Macdonald: I will just repeat: while we do allow a lot of latitude in motions to set aside standing orders, talking about something completely irrelevant and out of the atmospherics cannot be part of this debate. Senator Wong: Mr President, on the point of order: with respect to Senator Macdonald, I think Senator Conroy's comments go directly to the issue of why this matter is not urgent, which is the core of the suspension— Senator Ian Macdonald: Someone called Julie Bishop names! Senator Wong: I'm sorry? The PRESIDENT: Order! Not across the chamber, thank you. To me Senator Wong. Senator Wong: It is germane to the suspension of standing orders argument. The PRESIDENT: In relation to the point of order, Senator Macdonald, you are correct that there is usually a lot of latitude in relation to a suspension motion. Senator CONROY: I am not sure if it was Senator Leyonhjelm who said: 'The only time we hear from this government is when they want to borrow some money or the keys to the car,'— Senator Kim Carr: Like a kid! Senator CONROY: Like a child. That is absolutely what we are seeing here. Senator Abetz: That is harsh! Senator CONROY: It is what he said. It is harsh. It is absolutely a reflection on you, Senator Abetz. The PRESIDENT: To the chair, Senator Conroy. Senator CONROY: Sorry, Mr President. Through the chair, it is a reflection on the negotiating ability of those opposite, who are incapable of managing this chamber. They are incapable of managing a simple conversation with Senator Leyonhjelm, Senator Day, Senator Lazarus and Senator Lambie, and then they come in here and complain and blame everybody else. It has been demonstrated by the statements that I have referred to. Even Senator Macdonald, Mr President, has given them a serve today. He has talked about how they will not listen. He has talked about how they have a tin ear. We have had the Liberal Party economics backbench committee refuse to consider a bill put forward for the medical research fund because they were sick of being railroaded by this government. So they have the crossbench senators sick of it, they have the backbench senators sick of it and they have the chamber sick of it, and they come in here and try and blame somebody else. They have to have an absolute good look at themselves, because they have nobody but themselves to blame for the debacle they are faced with at the moment. Senator Abetz: Senator Xenophon. Senator Jacinta Collins: No, you can't call him! The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Siewert is on her feet, and Senator Siewert will have the call.