Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (10:24): I will perhaps start where— Senator Cash: It's not often you come down to do this. Senator WONG: I will perhaps start where the Leader of the Opposition— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator WONG: Chair, please. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sharma ): Order, please. Senator Wong has the call. Senator WONG: I know they're your side, but it would be good to call them. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Wong— Senator WONG: Do I have the call? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I ask that you respect the chair. Senator WONG: Yes, I do respect the chair— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I was seeking to restore order— Senator WONG: and I'm asking you to exercise your authority. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: and I've just asked to restore order. Senator Wong, you have the call. Senator WONG: Thank you. I will start where the Leader of the Opposition left off, which was: who are the adults in the room? We've seen how adult this opposition, this Greens party and this One Nation party are or are not. We have conflict in the Middle East. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Please allow Senator Wong to be heard in silence. Senator Cash was heard in silence. Please allow Senator Wong to be heard in silence. Senator WONG: We have conflict in the Middle East. We have 115,000 Australians in the Middle East. We have Iran attacking not one, not two, not three but 10 countries—10 countries. Honourable senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senators, I ask that Senator Wong be heard in silence. That courtesy was extended to Senator Cash. Senator WONG: We are dealing with a consular crisis 24 hours a day, and I hope I can have some updates for the chamber— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senators, I ask that you listen to Senator Wong in silence. If you want to continue a conversation, please leave the chamber to do so. Senator WONG: I hope we can have some updates on that later today for the chamber and for the public. We have an opposition that has not asked a single question on the economy. That says something about their priorities. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is here arguing about some Senate procedure but is not interested in asking a question about the economy. We have the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, who still hasn't asked a question. What I would say, through you, Chair— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie on a point of order. Senator McKenzie: It is on direct relevance to the suspension motion in front of the Senate. As the Chair has previously ruled, you must speak to the motion before the chair, which is on the suspension—not on matters in the Middle East or why the government is or isn't focused on what it's doing, but on the suspension order motion that is in front of the chair. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator McKenzie. I'm listening closely to Senator Wong. I believe she is referring to the relative priority afforded to government business, so, Senator Wong, please continue. Senator WONG: I appreciate that, because that is precisely what I am pointing to. It is precisely the point I am making: this is all happening in the world and this is all happening in the Australian community, but you are focused on issues of Senate procedure. I would invite the opposition: if you want to be the adults in the room, maybe do some of the reflection that your election review, which was tabled— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cash on a point of order. Senator Cash: Again, it is on direct relevance. With all due respect to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate—again, you're doing exactly what you say you don't like done in the Senate, which is to not address the question and give a speech. I would ask you to direct the Leader of the Opposition to actually answer and reflect on— A government senator: Government. Senator Cash: Government—the question before the chair. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I'm going to seek some advice from the Clerk. The Leader of the Government, Senator Wong, is referring to the relative importance of business before the chamber, which is pertinent to the motion. Senator Wong may continue. Senator WONG: That is precisely the point I am making—that those opposite, the opposition, are much more focused on their internals and matters of procedure, as is evinced both by the questions that they are engaging in and by this stunt. I accept that the crossbench is going to engage in these sorts of measures. I think the Senate— Senator Cash: Really? Seriously? Senator WONG: If I could finish, Senator Cash; I did listen to you with courtesy. I think that the crossbench—and I'm sure the manager will say something about this—is using OPDs in a way that, as a senator who has been here for over 20 years, I have not seen. I think that deserves a collaborative discussion. If people don't want to engage in that, it's a matter for them. I would say to the opposition that there was a time when parties of government who actually thought of themselves as parties of government behaved like adults. This opposition is not behaving like adults.