Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (16:25): Mr President, what we have just witnessed is a regrettable attempt at rewriting history. I will not seek to justify what the coalition has done or not done. All I would do is appeal to the crossbenchers, who were in my office—and their staff—when we were seeking to come to a reasonable landing in relation to this matter— Senator Wong: You don't listen! Senator ABETZ: And whilst I am talking in the fashion I am, we have the ongoing interjecting by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who cannot help herself. As a result of there being no decision able to be achieved in the meeting in my office, another suggestion was proposed to us: that there be a sitting of the Senate on Monday 11 May, and that that be devoted to government business, other than for question time. That is now the proposal. Might I say, Mr President, that people can put their spin what did or did not occur in the communications, but I think the crossbenchers were able to see firsthand what occurred, and they can make up their minds; they can make their determinations as to who was being reasonable and who was being unreasonable. Mr President, we had the situation, very regrettably, of the passing of a former Prime Minister. It is the tradition and proper that we adjourn as a mark of respect for that situation; as a result, Monday of this week was denied to us. Further, if we were to have thought of sitting on Friday of this week—which normally would have been a possibility—that also has been denied to us, because Mr Fraser's funeral service will be held this coming Friday. Therefore, we have had to seek extra time for government business, and the proposal was put that the Monday before the budget session would be the appropriate time, and that it be devoted to government legislation. Indeed, the motion indicates, I think, the three bills that we have nominated which have particular time constraints in them which do require the urgent consideration of the Senate. The Labor Party have, regrettably, continued with their course of action. I know that the crossbenchers were not able to witness the first nine months of this government because they were not here in the Senate, but for the first nine months, when Labor and the Greens had the majority, it was objection, objection, delay, and negativing everything possible—including Labor's own policies which they took to the last election. Since 1 July, when the new Senate came about, and Labor and the Greens lost their majority, we have in fact been passing things through the Senate, and there has been some substantial and reasonable progress with legislation. And so I say to the crossbenchers that the sitting on Monday is something that should be supported; and that the fact that Labor now—all of a sudden—say: 'Monday, what a good idea; we would have been supportive of that, but for—', is a rewriting of history that is disingenuous in the extreme. And I would— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, on a point of order. Senator Wong: Mr President, the Minister is misleading the Senate. If he does not talk to the Manager of Government Business then that is not our problem. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, that is not a point of order. That is debating the topic. Senator ABETZ: Just that intervention yet again by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate indicates the attitude she has taken ever since the people of Australia made the decision to remove her and her colleagues from government. Senator Wong interjecting— Senator ABETZ: We have non-stop interjections from the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, so one can imagine, without the glare of cameras and microphones, how tolerant Senator Wong is when trying to discuss these matters and come to a reasonable landing. So I simply plead with the crossbenchers. That which was determined the other day is a reasonable way forward, and I would encourage the Senate to support the motion that is before them. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the motion to suspend standing orders moved by the Manager of Government Business in the Senate be agreed to.