Senator WILLIAMS (New South Wales—Nationals Whip in the Senate) (15:24): Thank you, Mr Deputy President. Senator Wong: Shall I just talk all the way through your speech— Senator WILLIAMS: That is fine, Senator Wong: I will disregard your interjections. I remember back in the election of 2001— Senator Wong interjecting— Senator WILLIAMS: We were running through the election campaign in New England. Stuart St Clair was the sitting member who was been challenged by Tony Windsor— Senator Wong interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Wong! Senator Williams, resume your seat. It has been traditional in this part of taking note that senators do have some mild interjection. When it gets out of hand, the person in the chair will bring the Senate to order. Senator Wong, I allowed you to interject for a short period of time, and I think it has now become disorderly, so I would ask you to desist. Senator Wong: I accept your ruling, Mr Deputy President, but I would ask you to reflect on how long it took before you made such a ruling with respect to Senator Brandis. Senator Brandis: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. Plainly, Senator Wong is reflecting on your ruling, and she cannot conceal the fact that she is reflecting on your ruling by going through the pretence of prefacing her reflection by saying, 'I accept your ruling'. She is reflecting on your ruling; she is not speaking to a question before the chair. She has not taken a point of order and she should be sat down. Senator Wong: Shut up! Just shut up! The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Wong. It is not assisting. We will now continue. I remind senators not to interject continually. I think there has been a fairly even-handed approach today in relation to interjections. Senator Williams, you have the call. Senator WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. As I was saying, during the 2001 election campaign the then immigration minister, Philip Ruddock, came to— Senator Wong: Hypocrisy—this is the one who lied! Senator WILLIAMS: I will take the interjection of Senator Wong, who just happens to have a glass jaw. She loves to interject but she does not like getting a bit back herself, and hence she is throwing a tantrum on that very issue. Let me continue, Mr Deputy President. Senator Wong interjecting— Senator WILLIAMS: And the glass jaw continues to rattle on the other side of the chamber. I will continue on about the time, when we had a serious problem— Senator Wong: Yes, you were lying! Senator WILLIAMS: in July and August 2001, when we were getting 1,000 boats a month. The coalition had a serious problem. And what did they do? They addressed the problem and found a solution. This government now had a solution and it turned it into a monstrous problem. Senator Wong: Stop lying! Senator WILLIAMS: I'm not lying—I'm telling the truth, Senator Wong! You with your glass jaw do not like hearing the truth. Senator Wong interjecting— Senator WILLIAMS: You sit there interjecting half the day; when you don't like something you have to throw a tantrum. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Through the chair, Senator Williams. Senator WILLIAMS: Always through the chair, Mr Deputy President! We had a problem and we found a solution. And so what happens? Here are the facts. We are getting plenty of—I don't like to use the word 'lies'; I like to refer to untruths, because I think calling people liars is a bit too low: we wouldn't do that in a shearing shed and I wouldn't expect to do it here! Senator Wong: A good shearing shed! Senator WILLIAMS: You've probably never visited one, Senator Wong, even though the shearers actually started the Labor Party, under the Tree of Knowledge at Barcaldine. Those in the Labor Party could not even load a handpiece let alone shear a sheep, because you are no longer the workers' party; you are the extreme leftist socialists, tied up there with the Greens—that is what you are, and that is why the people have deserted your party in droves. That is why your primary vote is 27 per cent—because you do not understand the working people of Australia. So, if you want an argument about a shearing shed, bring it on! Let me get back to where I was. They were saying over that side that 95 per cent of those who were processed in Nauru came to Australia. That is wrong. That is simply wrong. Senator Wong: It is right! Senator WILLIAMS: If Senator Wong would actually shut her mouth for a minute and open her ears for a couple of seconds, she would be able to hear the figures. Senator Cash: They wouldn't say that in a shearing shed! Senator WILLIAMS: Here are the figures: 1,637 people were processed under the Pacific solution—Senator Cash, please do not make me laugh!—and 484 people, 30 per cent, were sent back to their country of origin. Now, I know, Mr Deputy President, what a genius you are at mathematics—you know that, if 100 per cent is a full lot, and you take off 30 per cent, that leaves 70 per cent. So how can they say that 95 per cent came to Australia? That is simply wrong—30 per cent were sent back to their country; 705 people out of the 1,637, 43 per cent, were resettled in Australia. The balance of 27 per cent were sent to other countries. So when we have these untruths, these misleading, falsified statements by the Labor Party saying 95 per cent of those who went to Nauru came to Australia, that is simply wrong. But truth is something I know that many on that side of the chamber use very carelessly. They are not very familiar with it. We only have to look at the great debate now being introduced into the other chamber, about the carbon tax—the one we will 'never have under a government I lead'. That is why I will go back to those polling figures. That is why they are like that: because the people have lost faith; they do not trust this government. That is why they were breaking all records on those low ends of the scale of polling: because of the way they have treated the Australian people, and what they are saying is not true. This is a serious problem. Senator Wong: And one for which you have no answer. Senator WILLIAMS: I give Senator Wong 10 out of 10 for persistence, but the effectiveness is very little. So what do we do? Do we continue on and process them in Australia while costing Australian taxpayers? This is a real issue, not only about the lives that are being lost at sea. What is it costing our country? A billion dollars a year! We look for money for aged-care facilities. My mother is in an aged-care facility, and I talk to the people who go around aged-care facilities— Senator Wong interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong! Senator WILLIAMS: I have a message for Senator Wong. Senator Wong, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Question agreed to.