Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:17): Minister, the independence of this chamber, of which you are a member, is protected in law, in the Constitution and by centuries of parliamentary convention, and that protection guards against heavy-handed tactics by a desperate executive seeking to wield its power to punish different views. Minister, can you confirm that the government executive will not seek to use the privilege of executive power to punish political opponents?