Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (16:00): Yes. Senator Watt: We'll always remember your acting leadership. Senator RUSTON: Yes, hopefully. Senator Watt: It's going very well. Senator RUSTON: I just wanted to correct the record for a number of things that have been said in this chamber during the last two hours. First and foremost is the— A government member interjecting— Senator RUSTON: We'll start with the urgency motion. This is probably one of the most serious issues that has been confronted by this chamber in the time since I started here. In 13 years, I have never seen a government so contemptuous of the conventions of this place in my time. Government senators interjecting— Senator RUSTON: Absolutely contemptuous. The PRESIDENT: Order! Order across the chamber! Senator Ruston, I am also going to remind you that you need to be putting a debate which opposes Senator Mulholland's request motion to suspend. I'm prepared to hear you out, but I do want to hear that perspective, and I need to hear it in silence. Senator RUSTON: The reason that I believe that it is very important that we do not suspend the Senate and we allow it to continue to operate the way it was intended to operate today is because the importance of holding the government to account is being undermined by the continuous activities of those that are opposite. I would remind those opposite about the importance of this particular provision, and, as I said, in the 13 years that I have been in this place, I have never seen a government more intent in avoiding transparency, avoiding accountability and, quite frankly, avoiding what needs to happen— The PRESIDENT: Order on my right! Minster Gallagher? Senator Gallagher: I have a point of order on relevance. The Acting Leader of the Opposition in the Senate should be relevant to the question before the chair, which is whether or not the suspension should be moved. The PRESIDENT: Senator Ruston, I do remind you to be relevant to the suspension order and why you believe it's not necessary. Senator RUSTON: The reason I believe that the suspension is unnecessary is because the actions of this chamber are determined by the majority of members in this chamber. The majority of members in this chamber yesterday determined what the order of business was going to be today. The one thing that, unfortunately, you seemed to have forgotten in the hubris of coming into government is the fact that the rule of this chamber is determined by the majority and not by the government that does not have a majority in this place. To come in here and constantly suspend on the basis that you just want to make some silly point about the processes—and they're talking about really serious issues. The issue that Senator Marielle Smith raised is a very, very serious issue. But why didn't she ask the question during question time? If it was so serious, Senator Smith, why did you not choose to ask it in the three questions that you're always able to ask on a Thursday? Equally, Senator Mulholland, why, if your question was so important, did you not ask it in the three questions that you are always able to ask on a Thursday? There has been no more restriction whatsoever on the number of questions that the government has been able to ask this Thursday than on any other Thursday throughout the entire time of this particular parliament. The reality is that we have got a very serious issue before the Senate. The very serious issue before this Senate is that you are still refusing to comply with the order of this Senate, as per the motion moved by Senator Pocock, to provide him with a document. So unless you are prepared to take seriously the will of this Senate—the majority of this Senate—then you continue to sit here in contempt of the Senate. There could be no more urgent or serious issue than the fact that the Labor government, the minority number of people in this place, are showing complete contempt for a decision of the Senate—absolute contempt. When you actually are prepared to come into this place and honour the greater will of this Senate, the majority of this Senate—when you're prepared to come into this place and actually accept that the will of the Senate should prevail—that will be when we accept the fact that you are not in contempt. But the reality is that things are different when they're not the same in this place, because, as I said, you come in here and you are contemptuous— The PRESIDENT: Minister Gallagher, a point of order? Senator Gallagher: On relevance—it sounds like the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is about to embark on a new line of remarks and is not being relevant to the question before the chair, which is whether or not we should suspend. It sounded very much like she was about to quote something. The PRESIDENT: I will listen carefully. I did think you were starting to drift, Senator Ruston, but I'll give you the benefit of doubt, and I'll continue to listen. Senator RUSTON: Thank you very much. I think exactly what we just saw as a point of order is the point at stake here. That is that, every time anybody seeks to make any comment that would actually call the government out for their rank hypocrisy, their lack of transparency or their lack of accountability, they call the point of order and try and make sure they shut us down. Well, you can't shut the people of Australia down. We are sent here to do a job. This Senate has got a role to play, and the first thing that you need to realise is that the majority will of the Senate should prevail.