Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance, Leader of the Government in Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:47): Here we go again! Here we go again, with the Labor Party coming into the Senate and running this smear that, because the member for Chisholm is of Chinese origin— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, on a point of order? Senator Wong: I would ask that that be withdrawn. This is not an issue of ethnicity, and asserting that it is is a smear on us. The issue is transparency and your refusal to say she is a fit and proper person—the test you set for trade union officials. The PRESIDENT: On this particular point, I refer every senator to standing order 193, Rules of debate—which also apply to questions—which includes 'imputations of improper motives and all personal reflections'. I will ask the minister to withdraw that for the comity of the chamber on this, because I do consider that to be such, given there was no mention of a nation or any such matter in the question. If, however, I heard an interjection along those lines, ministers are allowed to respond to that. So I would urge all senators to be particularly careful. Senator CORMANN: I withdraw. The PRESIDENT: Thank you. Senator CORMANN: Let me just make this point. The member for Chisholm is a member of the House of Representatives because she was duly elected, consistent with our Constitution and our electoral laws, and because the people of Chisholm put their confidence in her to represent them here in this parliament. She absolutely is a duly and validly elected member of parliament. Just by way of context, there has been an ongoing pursuit of this particular member for some time by the Labor Party. Let's not kid ourselves. The effective allegation that the Labor Party has been pursuing in an implied and dog-whistling way, without actually saying it explicitly, is that, because she is an Australian of Chinese origin, she's a spy— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Cormann. Senator Wong, on a point of order? Senator Wong: Mr President, I refer you to your previous ruling. 'Dog whistling' and the allegation that was made—they are not allegations that are being made on this side. This is about transparency. The PRESIDENT: I am happy to rule. My previous request, which was not a ruling and which the minister kindly complied with, was in the context that I thought that could have quite easily been a reflection. This, however, and the terminology he is using now is, in my view, a matter for debate. It is not a reflection on an individual member. I think this is a matter that can be debated after question time or debated at another time in the chamber. The minister's not breaching a standing order with the language he's using now, and I'm listening very carefully. Senator Cormann, are you finished answering? Senator CORMANN: Yes. The PRESIDENT: Senator Kitching, a supplementary question?