Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (12:22): It gives me great pleasure to support Senator Pocock's suspension of standing orders, and the coalition will be supporting the suspension of standing orders that has been moved by Senator Pocock in order for the Senate to be able to discharge this friendless bill. The Defence Amendment (Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal) Bill 2025 is an affront to every Australian who has ever worn our uniform. This bill could not be fixed and should not be bought back— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, I am speaking. This is a suspension motion; that is what you need to address your remarks to. Senator McKENZIE: It is a betrayal of trust on the eve of Remembrance Day for this Senate not to prioritise suspending our standing orders in order to be able to discharge this bill from our Notice Paper so it can go back from whence it came and the government can actually get on with implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide. This bill is a betrayal of trust. It's a cynical attempt by this government to strip away the rights of veterans and their families to seek justice, recognition and accountability— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, the suspension order is not a proxy opportunity to debate the bill. You need to demonstrate to the chamber why the matter is so urgent that the standing orders need to be set aside. It's not a proxy debate. It's a new debate about why a suspension is necessary. Senator McKENZIE: This bill does not fix a problem. It actually creates one. I'm trying to save the government, through this proxy sort of debate, from the embarrassment of having this bill on their books and continuing to support this bill becoming law on the eve of Remembrance Day. The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, I'm going to ask you to sit— Senator McKENZIE: That's directly relevant. The PRESIDENT: I will determine what's relevant and what's not. There is a suspension order before the Senate. Senators are seeking to suspend standing orders to do something other than what is next. Your arguments, your debate, need to be relevant to why we need to suspend, not the bill. Please continue. Senator McKENZIE: We need to suspend the Senate in order to discharge this bill because we are five days away from 11 November, Remembrance Day, when veterans from around the country will gather to remember those that have fallen in battle, those who were maimed in battle and the great joy of victory and peace. Having this bill on the Senate Notice Paper at that time would, I believe, bring our chamber into disrepute. We want to stand with veterans on Remembrance Day, and we are only days out from that day. We want to be united with our veterans on 11 November and tell them that, while the Labor Party may want to only remember you for 20 years, we, the Senate, are prepared to hold you in our hearts and remember you forever. To say that it's only two decades before you can actually limit— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, you have drifted once again. Senator McKENZIE: I've drifted? The PRESIDENT: You need to focus on the need for the suspension. Senator McKENZIE: I think the Senate needs to suspend standing orders to save Minister Conroy from the embarrassment that he is in the other chamber. Senator Gallagher: Keogh! Senator McKENZIE: Keogh. The government are so arrogant that they thought extending the reporting day would buy them time to convince us this bill was palatable, but here we stand, united, to say it can't be fixed. When questioned in the other chamber, Minister Keogh rolled his eyes— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie. Senator McKENZIE: and I don't want Minister Keogh— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie! You are using this suspension order as a proxy for another debate. You are to focus on why the matter before us, the suspension order, is so important that we have to stand aside the chamber's standing orders. That's the focus. Senator McKENZIE: Setting aside the standing orders so the Senate can take a decision about this bill is important. If the government won't recognise that this bill is friendless and withdraw it themselves, then we believe suspending standing orders in this chamber is an appropriate course of action for our chamber to take on the eve of Remembrance Day. For every single day this bill stays as part of this parliament's consideration, veterans and their families, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would see it as a great disrespect. I think the Labor Party should do themselves a favour and vote with the rest of the chamber to suspend standing orders and discharge the bill. It's okay to admit defeat. It's okay to say you got it wrong. It's actually good leadership to be able to say, 'We should have consulted, and this is a dog of a bill.' To do it quickly, rather than to leave it here and show disrespect to our veteran community over coming days, when they will be gathering on Remembrance Day in country towns, regional capital cities and indeed on barracks, would, I think, be the right thing for the government to do. Please support the suspension motion.