Senator ABETZ (Tasmania) (15:14): If the people of Australia needed yet another reason to confirm why they are smashing Mr Shorten in the opinion polls, it is the sort of commentary that we have just seen from one of his key frontbenchers, Senator Cameron, besmirching the character of a career soldier that has done this nation proud with 40 years of service, of putting his life on the line for the security of not only our nation but the world. Senator Cameron interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator ABETZ: And, painful as it was, I listened to Senator Cameron in silence. Can he repeat that courtesy? No, because he is a thug in the way that he— Senator Cameron interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Abetz, resume your seat, please. Minister. Senator Cormann: I rise on a point of order. The level of interjection from Senator Cameron is completely out of order and highly disrespectful. We listened to his remarks in silence despite them being quite provocative, and I think the chamber deserves to listen to Senator Abetz's contribution in silence as well. Senator Cameron: On the point of order: I have to indicate that what Senator Abetz has been doing is misleading the parliament. And certainly the proposition that he has put forward is that the general was in danger; it was working-class Australians that got killed, not generals. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cameron, resume your seat. You will be aware that I was, despite having a loud voice, seeking to call the Senate to order, which I eventually did at the same time as you stood up, Senator Cameron. Senator Abetz does have the right to be heard in silence, and I would ask all senators to observe that, please. Senator Abetz, please continue. Senator ABETZ: Thank you, Madam Deputy President. You have just asked the honourable senator to sit in silence and, before I even commenced, he interjected yet again, which highlights the standard that Mr Shorten has in his frontbench, a man that is willing to denigrate a great servant of the Australian people who now happens to find himself in this Senate, namely one Jim Molan. He has put life and limb on the line in the service of this nation, something that Senator Cameron will never understand. Senator Cameron's career in this place has been to defend the worst and attack the best. And let's have a look at the way— Senator Cameron: My old man fought for Britain, not the Nazis. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator ABETZ: Oh, Mathias, don't bother. This is indicative of the low standard— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Abetz, please resume your seat. Minister, on a point of order. Senator Cormann: That was a most disgraceful interjection by Senator Cameron, an outrageously inappropriate reflection on a senator in this chamber, and Senator Cameron should be required to withdraw. Senator Cameron: On the point of order: I did not reflect on Senator Abetz. I made no mention of Senator Abetz. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: There was no mention of any senator in that response, but I again would ask senators to respect the debate and to remain silent. Senator Cormann: On this occasion—and I do this extremely rarely—this was such a seriously inappropriate interjection by Senator Cameron, I would ask that the Hansard be reviewed and for the President to review the Hansard and to consider your ruling. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Minister. That will occur. I would again re-state the need to hear this debate in silence and to be respectful of other senators' contributions. Senator ABETZ: Madam Deputy President, for the third time, the Australian people have seen the inappropriateness of Senator Cameron's commentary, yet he holds a very senior position in the shadow cabinet led by Mr Shorten. Those with whom one surrounds oneself are an indication of one's character and of one's standards. And so Mr Shorten's standards are to have somebody like Senator Cameron on his frontbench—a man willing to defend the worst and attack the best. He defends the worst, people like Luke Collier, for whom and on whose behalf he asked over 60 questions at Senate estimates—a man convicted, if I recall correctly, for having broken the law on multiple occasions and for having engaged in violence against his female partner. But 60-plus questions were run in defence of a person like that. Why? Because he was a CFMEU official. Yet somebody like Senator Molan, who has put life and limb on the line in service of this nation, is to be denigrated and dragged through the mud by Senator Cameron. That's the sort of standard the Australian Labor Party now brings to these debates. The Australian people ought be warned, the Australian people ought realise that, with the election of a Labor government—if that were to occur—men and women like Senator Doug Cameron would hold frontbench positions and direct our nation. That is, quite frankly, a horrifying prospect. The Australian people deserve so, so much better. These attacks that have been made on Senator Molan by Senator Cameron indicate that he is willing to attack a decorated soldier but defend a criminal such as Luke Collier. Let's not forget how he ensured the preselection of a gentleman that is now in jail in New South Wales for corruption, one Ian Macdonald—not to be confused with my bench buddy Senator Ian Macdonald here. Let's be clear: they are the sort of people that Senator Cameron goes in to defend. Then he somehow claims that he comes into this chamber with clean hands and denigrates a good man like Senator Jim Molan, a man that I am pleased to call a friend and, as of recent times, a colleague, a man that has done so much more for this nation than you or I, Senator Cameron, ever will. Just remember that. His service overseas, be it in Indonesia, East Timor or Iraq, has been exemplary. That is why he has the 'AO' and that is why he has his military decoration. (Time expired)