Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) (09:54): The shadow Attorney-General says that they want to negotiate in good faith. The shadow Attorney-General says that the government should stop playing political games. Well, I say: look at what they have done and how they have behaved and reach your own assessment of whether this crowd is capable— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres— Senator AYRES: of seeing the national interest— The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres, please resume your seat. I would like you to reflect, on the left, that, when Senator Cash stood up and made her contribution, you were heard in silence. Senator Ayres is now on his feet and— Senator Reynolds: That's because there's no-one over there. Senator O'Sullivan interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Reynolds and Senator O'Sullivan—he is to be heard in silence. Senator Ayres. Senator AYRES: whether they are capable of putting the national interest first, whether they are capable of seeing any issue in any other way than what is in their narrow, immediate, partisan interests. And they are not capable. They are not capable of silence in this debate because they can't restrain themselves. They cannot restrain themselves. Senator Hughes interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Hughes. Senator AYRES: Senator Hughes, in particular— Senator O'Sullivan interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres, please resume your seat. Senator O'Sullivan, you are being incredibly disorderly. You're not at a football match. I saw what you did. I'm asking you to listen in silence. Senator Ayres. Senator AYRES: Each of them is incapable of seeing the national interest first. And that is what the government has done. The Leader of the Opposition says, and the shadow Attorney-General says, that these people should not have been released. What do they seriously say— Senator Birmingham: That is what we said! The man who sexually assaulted a woman in South Australia should not have been released. Senator AYRES: that the government should not have followed the law? The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres— Senator AYRES: That is precisely— The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres! Resume your seat. Once again, I remind those on my left to listen in silence. Senator Ayres. Senator AYRES: That is precisely what the government has done, and urging the government— Senator McKenzie: It was sexual assault. The PRESIDENT: Senator Ayres, please resume your seat. I'm not sure who that was. I think it was Senator Reynolds—Senator McKenzie. Apologies, Senator Reynolds. I have just called the chamber to order. You are being disrespectful. Senator Ayres. Senator AYRES: And that is precisely what the government has done. Urging the government to do anything else but follow the law, legislate carefully and use the two weeks that has been available to us, all the way up until Thursday, to make sure that the legislative framework is right— Senator Reynolds interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Reynolds. Senator AYRES: just shows that this lot is unfit for the job that they seek, unfit for even the offices that they hold in opposition, let alone any other aspiration that may cloud their entitled, smug minds, in terms of the way that they approach this question. Now, on this cohort of people, the government's approach in the court was absolutely clear. It was not the government's view that the law should change. The government sought an approach, in the government's approach before the High Court, that would have seen not only NZYQ continue to be in detention but also the rest of this cohort. Opposition senators interjecting— Senator AYRES: I just have to respond— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator AYRES: We must, unlike some tin-pot dictatorship, follow the rulings of the High Court. That is fundamental to the Australian operation of law. And I have to reflect for a moment on Senator McKim's contribution as well. It is not right to conflate broader issues of migration and of the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers with this issue. This is a cohort who have committed offences—some of them are very serious offences—and the approach of the government will be to ensure community safety. That's what we will do. It is a big mistake, in my view, for people on either side of this argument to try and conflate these. It serves the interests of some on the extremes of either side of Australian politics, but it is not in the national interest to conflate these issues. As to Mr Dutton's history on this question and the opposition's history on this question—if only people we were made more secure by shouting! If only people were made more secure by tough talk. You know what we need in this situation? We need precision. We need deliberation. We need cold calculations about what is in the national interest. We need to develop an approach to the law that is consistent with the national interest. None of that has been displayed by those opposite, who have just shouted and bellowed and talked tough and come up with nothing that is in the national interest. I look forward to seeing your conduct this week, when it really counts, as we legislate our way through this set of challenges. I look forward to seeing whether you're actually capable of acting in the national interest. (Time expired)