Senator HINCH (Victoria) (15:16): I shall be brief. I'm old enough to remember the days when we all used to laugh at the Italians. We said how often they changed their government, how often they changed their leaders and what a stupid country that was—how irresponsible and what a lousy case of democracy. Tomorrow, it would seem, an elected Prime Minister will not make it to his full term. An elected Prime Minister, I believe—seeing that the people of Australia elected him, whether it be Prime Minister Shorten or Prime Minister Turnbull—was elected by the people and should serve his or her full term in government. I'm sorry that that will not happen, because tomorrow, it would appear, we'll now have either a Prime Minister Dutton or a Prime Minister Morrison or a Prime Minister Pyne or a Prime Minister Bishop. They're all doing the numbers. I'm told they're all doing the numbers. I will concede that I criticise this government and I vote against this government. I think what they did in the other place today was a bloody disgrace. They have shut down democracy and the workings of the place. I agree with Senator Cameron sometimes, with his 'rabble'. They're a rabble. They're a terrible rabble at times, and they are at the moment. We do not know who's going to be in the ministry tomorrow. We don't know who we're going to ask questions of. I'll concede a bit to Senator Hanson: the government obviously must still be doing some sort of work somewhere. I guess there's a chance we may have a Prime Minister Turnbull if they can't find the 43 signatures. I still say, though, that I believe a government is the government. It should not be up to us, Senator Wong. It should not be up to us to decide when they should go to the polls and when they should have an election. Senator Kim Carr: Why not? Senator HINCH: Because the people elected this government, Senator Carr, and the government should decide. Whoever the new Prime Minister is tomorrow, he or she should decide when we should have an election. Senator Kim Carr: Which one? Which Prime Minister? Which one's going to decide? Senator HINCH: I don't know. Through the chair, Senator Carr, I do not know. We don't know. But, when that Prime Minister is elected by the party room tomorrow, it is up to them to decide when they call an election. It is not for you to call an election and not for me. It is for them. Senator Kim Carr: The people should decide. Senator HINCH: Do you want to take the rest of my turn, Senator Carr? The PRESIDENT: Senator Hinch, please continue your remarks. Senator Carr, please! Senator HINCH: Through the chair, let me say that I believe a government should have the right to call an election when they want to, even though they may be so unpopular that we want them to have an election. I'll be voting with the government on this one.