Senator HENDERSON (Victoria) (18:19): It's my great pleasure to rise and speak on this MPI, at a time when our nation is facing so many bushfire emergencies. I want to make the point that I regret that we are at odds with each other across the chamber, on a contentious proposal by Labor senators, when our nation is in the grips of a national emergency. After the terrible loss of a number of lives and several hundred homes and buildings, all in regional and rural communities—and we know only too well that rural and regional Australians cop the brunt of so many national disasters—it is regrettable that today's MPI is not about the people in those communities at this time of national emergency. I salute the thousands of people working so hard on the frontline in rural and regional New South Wales and Queensland to fight these fires and to protect communities—our volunteer firefighters, and our other emergency services personnel. I want to correct some of the comments that Senator M Smith made in her contribution. I believe that one of the reasons Labor did not succeed at the last federal election is the Australian people saw through Labor's mistruths. I want to correct Senator M Smith and make it quite clear to the Australian people that this government has not cut pensions, has not cut family payments and is delivering record amounts of education and health funding. When you carry on making ridiculous claims which are not substantiated by any fact, the Australian people lose faith in politicians. I think that's one of the very major reasons why Australians lost faith in Labor. In fact, in Labor's own review, released a number of days ago, one of the key issues identified on why Labor did not succeed at the federal election was that it turned its back on so many rural and regional communities. I saw that well and good in my former role as the member for Corangamite. I spent a lot of time mopping up the damage from Labor's failed policies and its failure to invest sufficiently in roads, rail and essential communications infrastructure. When Labor was last in power, it did not provide one single dollar for mobile communications. Its carbon tax had such a major impact on our farmers—on our dairy farmers in particular—as well as our manufacturers. Where I am located in regional Victoria—I am proudly based in Geelong and I am looking after Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and the Mallee, as well as parts of Melbourne's west—we see notorious offenders in the likes of Catherine King, Richard Marles, Libby Coker and Lisa Chesters, and many Labor members in Melbourne's west who have not stood up— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Faruqi ): There is a point of order. Senator Urquhart: I would ask that the senator refer to those in the other place by their appropriate titles. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I remind senators to refer to members in the other place by their proper titles. Senator HENDERSON: These Labor members Madam Deputy President have not stood up for the needs of Victorians. They have not stood up for the fact that we have a disastrous regional rail link. They did not stand up when Daniel Andrews cancelled the East West Link. They did not stand up for their communities when our government offered Victorian state Labor $4 billion to build the East West Link. I see Senator Keneally in the chamber. When she was Premier of New South Wales, I'm sure not even— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: A point of order, Senator Keneally? Senator Keneally: I would ask that you remind the senator that you're not supposed to reflect on who is in the chamber when you are speaking. Senator HENDERSON: I think that is a bit of a long bow, Senator Keneally. I am not reflecting— Senator Keneally: I'd like to hear the chair's ruling! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! My ruling is that we should not be reflecting on senators. Senator HENDERSON: I am certainly not reflecting in any negative way on Senator Keneally other than to say that, in contrast to what she might have done when she was Premier of New South Wales, it is disappointing that the Victorian state Labor government has refused our offer of $4 billion. We now see Victorian state Labor not doing anything to extract conventional gas. We see its reckless policies in Victoria—its banning of logging of native forests in Victoria. And, of course, who could forget, Madam Deputy President, when Labor members last year, in this parliament, voted against our $5 billion Future Drought Fund? That says everything that we need to know about Labor members in this place. Senator Urquhart: I have a point of order—and the senator should resume her seat when a point of order is called. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Henderson, could you please resume your seat. Senator Urquhart: Acting Deputy President, could you also ask the senator to call you by your correct title of Acting Deputy President, not Deputy President? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I'll just remind members to please make sure that people are addressed by their correct titles. Senator HENDERSON: Obviously my list of Labor failures is getting to those on the other side—and the list is longer than what I've been able to produce in this chamber. The list is long. Labor has failed rural and regional Australians. I will continue to speak out on behalf of regional communities. (Time expired)