Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia) (14:00): My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer and the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. Does the minister accept that it was utterly contemptuous for the government to last week task a committee with reviewing the merits of their carbon tax legislation and on Sunday start selectively quoting from updated Treasury modelling into the impact of this carbon tax but only release the modelling minutes before the committee was due to start questioning Treasury officials about it this morning? How can the government claim to want a thorough and considered scrutiny of its proposals when it treats a committee that it established and that it set the hearing dates for with such complete contempt? The PRESIDENT: I call the Minister representing the Treasurer and Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Senator Brandis: You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a disgrace. I thought you were better than that. You have lost the respect of the chamber. Senator Cameron: What's this pompous git on about? How can you put up with the pomposity? The PRESIDENT: Just resume your seat, Senator Wong. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! When there is silence on both sides, we will proceed. Senator WONG: If I may say, what is utterly contemptuous in this debate is the continued reliance on falsehoods from those opposite in relation to the impact of pricing carbon. What is contemptuous is the lack of regard for the science and the lack of regard for the truth that has been demonstrated in, and is central to, the fear campaign engaged in by those opposite. What is utterly contemptuous is the man who wants to be the Prime Minister of this country going out to different sites to get a good camera shot and telling— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, just resume your seat. If people wish to have a debate they can go outside at this stage of the afternoon, because 3 pm is the time— Senator Bernardi interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Bernardi! It is you that I am referring to. A lot of your colleagues are surprised at that but I can assure them that it is you, Senator Bernardi. Senator Wong, please continue. Senator WONG: What is utterly contemptuous is telling people who work in the coal industry that pricing carbon will mean the death of the coal industry when you know that is not true. Senator Brandis: If you believe in nothing I suppose you've got to lie through your teeth. The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, you will need to withdraw. Senator Chris Evans: Mr President, Senator Brandis made a clearly unparliamentary and, quite frankly, really inappropriate remark, and I think he ought to stand and withdraw it. Senator Brandis: Mr President, I withdraw if required to do so by you. The PRESIDENT: No, it has to be under— Senator Brandis: I was not referring to a particular individual. I did not understand that the standing orders applied to generic remarks; nevertheless, I withdraw. The PRESIDENT: Thank you. Senator WONG: In relation to the modelling, as the senator would know if he has read it, it shows almost no difference from the modelling that was previously released. It shows that the economy continues to grow. It shows that jobs continue to grow. It shows that incomes continue to grow and that domestic emissions will fall to nearly half of what they would be without carbon pricing in 2050. These are all findings that I am sure the opposition will continue to ignore. In relation to the committee, obviously I am not a member of the committee, but I am advised that the committee is reconvening on Monday for the purpose of enabling senators and members to ask the questions they think are appropriate. (Time expired) Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: When there is silence, we will proceed.