Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (09:50): I seek leave to make a short statement. Leave not granted. Senator McKENZIE: I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from making a statement here today in the Australian Senate. What we are seeing from the government benches, from their partners in crime when it suits them—the Greens—is the shutting down of the Australian people's voice. We actually have a chamber that represents the diversity of Australian views. The Australian Greens have a great swagger, those senators, and there are One Nation, Independents, the National Party and the Liberal Party. What we've seen this week is a government so out of control of this chamber that they have shut down and silenced senators from right across the country, right across the political spectrum. And what we've seen this morning is a refusal by the government to allow His Majesty's opposition to bring our bill to this chamber to be debated—something that, in my 15 years here, has been a matter of course. We are respectful— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Marielle Smith ): Sorry, Senator McKenzie: I have Senator Sheldon on a point of order. Senator Sheldon: A point of order: this matter is supposed to be about the suspension itself. She's not addressing the actual issue—about the suspension. She should be going to that. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Sheldon. Senator Duniam, on the same point of order? Senator Duniam: Yes, on the same point of order: as was ruled by Acting Deputy President Sharma yesterday, there is latitude to provide context for the suspension. It is something that was brought to the attention of the chamber a number of times in the debate yesterday. So I'd argue that there's no point of order. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sheldon, on the same point of order? Senator Sheldon: Yes. Senator McKenzie was denied leave to make a statement. That's what the issue is that we're debating now, not the matters she's raising. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thanks, Senator Sheldon. How about I just rule, and politely encourage you to stick to the suspension, Senator McKenzie. Senator McKENZIE: Thank you, Chair—excellent ruling, in line with the long traditions held in this chamber. I was denied leave to make a statement, and in the denying of leave we have seen this chamber, particularly the Greens and their partners in crime, the Labor Party, shutting down the voice of Australian senators. The statement I wanted to make, had I not been— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, I have Senator Hanson-Young on her feet. Is this a point of order? Senator Hanson-Young: A point of order: I haven't heard why Senator McKenzie is seeking to suspend, when the chamber has just voted against suspending on this exact vote. She is denying the will of the chamber and should be brought back to the purpose of the speech. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson-Young, resume your seat. Senator McKenzie has been on her feet for seconds. I heard her reference to suspension. You're in order; continue, please, Senator McKenzie. Senator McKENZIE: Thank you very much. The collective Greens don't appreciate that we are all elected here as individual senators, and the contingency motion I am speaking to recognises that. Despite the chamber voting previously on another senator's denial of the ability to speak, that does not deny me my right to get up here as the Leader of the National Party in the Senate and call out the Labor Party—the government—and the Greens for shutting down debate again and not allowing me to make a statement in the interests of my constituents, my political party and non-Labor government senators on this side. What we have seen from this government on the ISIS bride returns is appalling. An urgent debate needs to occur. The opposition has done the right thing and developed a private senator's bill to address the concerns of everyday Australians about ISIS brides and their nearly adult children returning to our shores. This is actually an issue of concern. What we have seen from the government, in their impotent, flaccid, pathetic response to this issue is of concern. We have had Australia's foreign and minister in this chamber this week, with hands up, saying, 'There was nothing I could do.' The Prime Minister said, 'If you're an Australian, you have a right to a passport.' No, you do not. Under the Australian Passport Act 2005, the government and the minister have the right to suspend the application of a passport, refuse to issue a passport under certain grounds and, indeed, cancel an issued passport under certain grounds. Having been a minister who's had to make tough decisions and has gone against departmental advice at times because it's not in the national interest, ministerial discretion is there for a reason. Governments are not instruments of the department. We've been elected. You have a duty that you swore to do, whether you made the affirmation or swore on your holy book with the Governor-General, to uphold our constitution and to act in the national interest. You do not take— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, resume your seat. Senator Hanson-Young, on a point of order? Senator Hanson-Young: Again, Senator McKenzie is seeking to debate the issue that this chamber has rejected the debate today. I would ask Senator McKenzie, what does she say about the 14-year-old girl who is trafficked and coerced against her will— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson-Young, that is not a point of order. Resume your seat. That is also a debating point. Senator McKenzie, I do think you are staying, though, so I again remind you to please stick to the motion before us. Senator McKENZIE: I do seek to suspend standing orders because, again, this government has refused to answer simple questions. On the children that are over the age of 14 that should be subjected to temporary exclusion orders, the foreign minister refused to answer the question. How many passports have been issued to this cohort? Australians are concerned. Australians are compassionate people, but a government's responsibility is not to wait to be told what to do in a crisis by officials; it is to lead and act and to use their constitutional powers and responsibilities to always act in the national interests. That's what the opposition has sought to do, and that's what we'll continue to do.