Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:02): You did not listen to the answer, Senator Urquhart. It is a bit rich from someone like you, Senator Urquhart, who sits in a party led by a man—Bill Shorten—who made a career out of taking backhanders and secret commissions from business to sell workers down the river— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, a point of order. Senator Wong: I have a number, but first let us do 'directly relevant'. I know that this leader believes that personal abuse is the way to get out of trouble, and I am very happy to continue to say— The PRESIDENT: On direct relevance, Senator Wong. Senator Wong: Thank you. It is clearly not relevant to the question. The Labor Party is hardly relevant to the question that was asked. I think it is self-evident. The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, I will remind you of the question. You have 37 seconds in which to answer the question. Senator BRANDIS: If it was not clear to you before, Senator Urquhart, let me be explicit: I entirely reject the premise of your question. If you are concerned about the wellbeing of workers, why do you sit behind a man—Bill Shorten—who, as a union leader, took backhanders, secret commissions and bribes that were concealed from his members to sell them down the river on their pay and conditions— The PRESIDENT: Attorney-General, I do believe the allegation you made about the Leader of the Opposition is unparliamentary. A point of order, Senator Gallagher. Senator Gallagher: Just to be clear, there were a number of different references there that we would object to, including one previously around, I think, taking backhanded payments. The aspersion is disorderly and should be ruled out of order. The PRESIDENT: I asked the Attorney-General to withdraw. He immediately withdrew those remarks. Senator Wong, on a point of order. Senator Wong: I apologise, Mr President; it was my error in my first point of order. I ought to have sought that you require the Attorney-General to withdraw the reference to 'backhander'. The PRESIDENT: Attorney-General, I assume you have, but I will double-check. Attorney-General, if you would withdraw that reference also? Senator BRANDIS: If you wish me to. I will confine it to secret commissions. It all means the same thing, of course: payments taken and concealed from the members of the union to sell them down the river, to sell out their pay and conditions— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Carr, a point of order. Senator Kim Carr: On a point of order, the Leader of the Government in the Senate has now suggested that the Leader of the Labor Party has undertaken an illegal act in referring to secret commissions. That is a criminal act and he knows it. He ought to withdraw it. The PRESIDENT: On the point of order, Attorney-General. Senator Brandis: Can I address the point of order, please. In fact, those payments are the very thing that the government has introduced legislation into the House of Representatives last week to outlaw and is being opposed by the Labor Party— The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order; that is a debating point. In relation to the words that the Attorney-General has withdrawn, I am satisfied that those words have been withdrawn. On 'secret commissions', Senator Carr, I will reflect upon that. But I do not believe, in the context that was used by the Attorney-General, that that would breach that provision of the standing orders, but I will reflect upon that. Senator Urquhart, a final supplementary question.