Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:19): Senator McKim, you talk about the even greater human cost. Let me tell you what the humane outcome of the government's policies has been. When we came into office there were 1,992 children in detention on the Australian mainland. Today, as a result of decisions by Mr Morrison and Mr Dutton, there are now none—not one. Every child that had been in detention when my side of politics came into office three years ago has been released. That, I think, is a good humanitarian outcome. During the period of the Labor government, whose policies you supported, we know that at least 1,200 men, women and children died at sea. There may have been many more. That is just the 1,200 that we know about. As a result of our policies in the last three years, not one man, woman or child has died at sea. The PRESIDENT: A point of order, Senator McKim? Senator McKim: Yes, thank you, Mr President. On the point of order: the question was absolutely explicit. It was specifically around the $9.6 billion and whether or not it would be reasonable for Australians to assume that that financial figure is accurate, if the government did not release its own figure based on a transparent methodology. The Attorney has not come anywhere near that question. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator McKim. You are correct in relation to your question. The Attorney-General was addressing your preamble. I remind the Attorney-General of the question. Senator BRANDIS: Thank you very much, Mr President. So, Senator McKim, I think that is a good humanitarian outcome: no deaths for three years, as opposed to 1,200 and more deaths at sea in the previous six years; no children in detention today as opposed to nearly 2,000 children in detention when this government was elected. The PRESIDENT: Order, Attorney-General. Pause the clock. Senator Di Natale, a point of order? Senator Di Natale: I suspect the Attorney-General is defying your ruling, Mr President. The question was brought to his attention. He continues to ignore it. I urge you to ask the Attorney-General to address the question of costs. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Di Natale. I did remind the Attorney-General. I remind the Attorney-General of the question. Senator BRANDIS: Thank you, Mr President. There is one other part of your question, Senator McKim, that I would like to address in the time available to me. You made the assertion that the Nauru regional processing arrangements are unlawful. Senator McKim, you know that last year the High Court of Australia— The PRESIDENT: Order! Pause the clock. Senator McKim? Senator McKim: In a genuine effort to assist the Attorney, my point of order is that I actually asserted that the Manus Island detention centre was illegal, not Nauru, and he still has not started answering the question, Mr President. The PRESIDENT: You are now debating the point, Senator McKim. That is not a point of order. There is no point of order. Senator BRANDIS: I am making the point, Senator McKim, that the High Court of Australia upheld a challenge to regional processing arrangements in relation to Nauru. Senator McKim, this government is very proud of the fact that we have driven the people smugglers out of business, that we have stopped the boats, that we have saved countless lives and that we have released every last child from detention— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator McKim, a supplementary question.