Senator SESELJA (Australian Capital Territory—Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters) (15:07): The coalition government—the Prime Minister and the minister responsible, Minister Colbeck, and the entire government—has from day one treated issues around aged care and protection of the community in aged-care homes and in other settings with the utmost of seriousness. That is backed by our record, by the amount of investment that we are putting in, by the way we are responding. It would be a lot easier to take the attacks coming from the Labor Party seriously if they didn't resort to the politics of smear against the minister and if they didn't resort to outright lies in order to make their case. The minister, the Prime Minister and the government have not only taken this seriously and of course expressed our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. We are working to address these issues and are continuing to work with other governments. When we have Senator Watt come in here and engage in the politics of smear, it needs to be seen for what it is. It would be a lot easier to take it seriously if they didn't have to resort to outright lies, as we have seen on a number of occasions in this space. If the attack was to be taken seriously, if we were to believe they were actually sincere—well, they wouldn't have to tell bald-faced lies in this place and in the other place. We had it in question time again today, where they claim—and they did it in the House today— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley? Senator Polley: Madam Deputy President, I want to bring to your attention the language that the good senator is using. It's unparliamentary and I ask him to withdraw it. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Seselja, whilst you haven't named senators directly, it's close to the wind. So I ask you to refrain, if you wouldn't mind. Please continue. Senator SESELJA: Thank you for your guidance, Madam Deputy President. The Labor Party has been going in there, into the House of Representatives and the Senate, and outright lying when it comes to aged care. We can go to the facts. Because Mr Albanese— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley? Senator Polley: Madam Deputy President, I raise with you again that the assertions of the senator are unacceptable and unparliamentary. I ask you to remind him or ask him to withdraw. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Seselja, you can't actually say, 'People have come into this chamber'. That's my advice from the clerk. Senator SESELJA: Thank you. The Labor Party has been going around the place lying about this issue. It goes to the fact that this is about politics rather than getting to the substance of the issue. The substance of the issue is something this government takes seriously and treats with the utmost seriousness. But you have to come in and claim that we've cut funding. We inherited a spend in aged care of a tick over $13 billion annually from the Labor Party. That has gone up to $22 billion, and in the forward estimates will go to $25 billion. So, when the Labor Party comes in here and pretends that they are serious about the issue and that they are serious about accountability, let's go to the fact that they don't want to speak to the fact that they want to make up their own numbers—false numbers and fake numbers. That's what we've heard from Mr Albanese in the other place, and that's what we've consistently heard from senior Labor— An opposition senator interjecting— Senator SESELJA: Well, we've got the budget papers, where it goes from $13 billion, when we came to government, to $22 billion. We are taking this issue seriously and will continue to take this issue seriously. But when you see this kind of smear from Senator Watt, and when you see this kind of dishonesty from other members of the Labor Party, it goes to the other fact: they are running a protection racket for the Victorian Labor government. At no stage in considering the facts of the matter and considering the serious challenges in aged-care facilities in Victoria do they go to the fact that these things are happening in Victoria because of the serious failings of Dan Andrews and the Victorian government in quarantine, in testing and in tracing. This is a government that had the toughest lockdowns, but the biggest— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Polley? Senator Polley: Madam Deputy President, I just draw your attention that we should be using the correct titles. It is Premier Dan Andrews. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Polley. Senator Seselja, please continue. Senator SESELJA: Thank you. It is Premier Dan Andrews and his failings that this lot over here want to run a protection racket for. They want to ignore the failures of quarantine. They want to ignore the failures of testing and tracing. This is a government where Premier Dan Andrews acted like a dictator during this process. He had the toughest lockdowns and the biggest failings, and the people of Victoria are suffering the consequences. Those on the other side ignore that. I haven't heard a Victorian Labor senator come in here and raise one iota of criticism of Dan Andrews from the Victorian Labor government. Why is it happening in Victoria and not in New South Wales? Has New South Wales not faced similar challenges? Of course they have, but they have responded differently. This goes to the heart of the political attack. They will lie, they will smear and they will continue to run a protection racket for their mate Daniel Andrews in Victoria.