Senator CORMANN ( Western Australia ) ( 12 : 16 ): Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a brief statement. Leave granted. Senator CORMANN: Today is the day the Greens have joined Labor's mining tax cover-up. Today is the day the Greens have put themselves right in front of Treasurer Swan and have protected him from releasing information which the Senate has insisted for the last 18 months needed to be provided so the Senate would be in a position to properly scrutinise the credibility of the mining tax revenue estimates and to properly scrutinise the credibility of the costings of all of the promises Labor has attached to the mining tax. The government, of course, continues to refuse to release of the mining tax revenue assumptions. Why is that, Mr Deputy President? The reason for that is that the government clearly has something to hide. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Cormann, this is moving beyond a statement and into debate. You did seek leave to make a statement, so I would ask you to consider making a statement to the Senate. Senator CORMANN: Thank you, Mr Deputy President. I will continue with my statement. The government clearly know that their mining tax revenue assumptions are dodgy. They clearly know that if their mining tax revenue assumptions were publicly released then they would not stand up to scrutiny. This is, of course, why the government continue to persist with their refusal to release that information. I remind the Senate in my brief statement of what the Greens said in relation to this about six months ago. Senator Bob Brown was quoted as saying that the lack of information on the mining tax was increasingly unsatisfactory and: The time is coming where the Senate is going to have to flex its muscle. If the information is really commercial in-confidence, the Senate committee could meet in-camera, but what the Treasury is in fact saying is that bureaucrats are allowed to have crucial information but parliamentarians, who are being asked to vote on the relevant laws, are not. It is illogical and unacceptable. Senator McEwen: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Cormann is not making a statement; he is debating an issue. I ask you to bring him back to making a statement. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator McEwen. Senator Cormann, I draw your attention to the fact that you have sought leave to make a statement to the Senate and not to debate the matter. Senator CORMANN: In the fullness of time I would be interested in a ruling on what the definition of a statement to the Senate is. Honourable senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Could I advise all senators that the Procedures Committee has made a determination in relation to that and I advise senators to read the determination in relation to this item of business each time it occurs on every day of the sitting week. Senator Cormann, I believe your time has expired. Senator Cormann: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. The clock in fact kept running while you were making your ruling and when I was not on my feet making a statement. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I am advised that there were only two or three seconds left, Senator Cormann. Senator Cormann interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Cormann, it would assist the Senate if that concluded your statement.