Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Minister for Rural Health, Minister for Sport, Minister for Regional Communications and Deputy Leader of The Nationals) (14:10): On Friday we heard Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten get caught out by Patsy from Caboolture on 4BC with Ben Davis, lying to listeners about access to cancer treatment in the Moreton Bay region. Patsy really set him straight on the issue. Shorten was claiming that patients in Longman had to drive to Brisbane to access essential chemo treatment that, according to Patsy, the local in this conversation— The PRESIDENT: Senator McAllister, on a point of order. Senator McAllister: I would ask Senator McKenzie to refer to Mr Shorten by his correct title. The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie knows the rules of the chamber. Senator McKENZIE: Well, Patsy caught Mr Shorten lying about access to chemo services in that region. So, in terms of being— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong? Senator Wong: Can she please withdraw? The PRESIDENT: Yes, quite right. Senator McKenzie, I would ask you to withdraw that particular statement about Mr Shorten. Senator McKENZIE: I will withdraw that statement, and you can look at the transcript of the interview on my Facebook page after question time. I'm not calling him a liar; Patsy from Caboolture did. In terms of accessing chemo treatment, it's actually available in Nambour. According to Patsy, there are services available down the road, in Redcliffe. The PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, on a point of order. Senator Jacinta Collins: Mr President, I would ask for you to look into the matter of whether advertising web pages is appropriate during question time. Senator McKenzie has stretched the boundaries of what she does on social media, even when she's chairing a committee inquiry where she's been forced to withdraw matters. The PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, that's not relevant. Senator Jacinta Collins: I would ask you to look into the matter. Government senators interjecting— Senator Sterle interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! While I am speaking, Senator Sterle—and on my right, the colleagues I did not have a chance to name—I'll ask for silence. I will do that, Senator Collins. It's an interesting question. I'm not, off the top of my head, familiar with the example you refer to. Senator Hanson, a point of order? Senator Hanson: On the point of order: Mr President, you actually said that it was unparliamentary for Mr Shorten to be called a liar, although it didn't come from Senator McKenzie herself; it was basically someone else calling him that. So, in your ruling, how can that be unparliamentary? Opposition senators interjecting— Senator Watt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Watt and others on my left, I would like to hear the point of order. That is a basic courtesy. Senator Watt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt, I'm going to insist that, when I'm speaking, senators remain silent. Please extend the courtesy that all senators ask for when they're raising a point of order—to be heard in relative silence. Senator Hanson, please continue. Senator Hanson: As I was saying, Senator McKenzie has been made to make a withdrawal of her comments. But they are not directly her comments. They have come from someone else; she's actually quoting someone else. How is that unparliamentary? The PRESIDENT: On the point of order: I asked Senator McKenzie to withdraw. She did. I heard it as a comment that she made. But I will remind senators that you can't clothe unparliamentary language with a quote from someone else if something is clearly unparliamentary. Senator Wong? Senator Wong: I'm sorry: I wasn't sure whether you'd ruled, but if I could make two points very briefly on the point of order—the first is that in fact your predecessor did— Government senators interjecting— Senator Jacinta Collins: Why are you so defensive? The PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, on my right there were numerous senators—I couldn't see. I'm going to ask that, while points of order are raised, a courtesy is extended to all senators. Senator Wong, please continue. Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Can I take Senator Wong's point of order and then I'll come to you, Senator Macdonald. Senator Wong was on her feet. Senator Macdonald, please resume your seat. I will come to you next. Senator Wong. Senator WONG: On the point of order, I think Senator Parry did, in fact, rule on this point in relation to Senator Cash's quoting of some rather unparliamentary and crude language. I think there is very clear precedent on this. The PRESIDENT: You are quite right. I'd like to familiarise myself with that. The general principle is unparliamentary language cannot be clothed in a quotation from an external source. But I will come back to the chamber on the issue Senator Collins also raised. Senator Macdonald, on a point of order. Senator Ian Macdonald: On your ruling, Senator Wong demands courtesies she shows nobody else. The PRESIDENT: Order! Very few people in this chamber are saintly in innocence with regard to interjections. I constantly remind all senators and single out those when they have made numerous and repeated interjections. I will call Senator McKenzie to continue her answer for the remaining 12 seconds if she wishes. Senator McKENZIE: Yes, I do. Let's look at the numbers because they never lie. The Commonwealth funding to Longman has increased by 38 per cent, and the state Labor funding by four per cent. That's the truth.