Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania—Leader of the Australian Greens) (12:26): I seek leave to make a short statement. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for two minutes. Senator BOB BROWN: I thank the Senate. The motion we have just dealt with is one aimed at a particular senator—in this case, Senator Rhiannon—and we are seeing a number of these motions which are aimed at the person rather than at a relevant contemporary debate. We do not resile from any of our backgrounds. If you want to discuss my Presbyterianism, I am happy to discuss it. If you want to discuss Senator Rhiannon's connections with communists past, she is happy to discuss that. The motion seems to come from the first line of the first platform of the first Greens party in Australia, which is that of the Sydney Greens dated 15 October 1984 and says: The Greens in Sydney come from many backgrounds. Environmental and resident activists. Nuclear disarmers. Dissidents from the Labor Party who have witnessed betrayals by both wings of that party. Feminists. Anarchists. Those inspired by the German Greens. Socialists of various kinds. Senator Bernardi, who was just so recently wanting to help Islamophobic builders come from Holland to Australia, has little to talk about in these matters— Senator Kroger: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. You ruled previously on the need for Senators to make a statement and not argue the point. I think Senator Brown should be observing your ruling. I think it should be brought to his attention that part of a statement is not just taking a spray at your colleagues. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Kroger. Senator Brown, before you continue, I advise you that you had sought leave to make a statement. Could you continue making a statement and not a debating point. Senator BOB BROWN: If Senator Kroger is not the point, I wonder what is. To finalise that, the motion from the opposition is a bit cute coming from the strongest supporters in this chamber of the Communist Party of China, corrupted, which has got democrats, socialists and good hearted people breaking rocks in the Gobi Desert. They ought to look at their own record. Senator Kroger: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. I see no relevance to the motion that was before the chair. This is clearly not a statement, and I ask you to draw the senator's attention to that. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: It is not a technical point of order. Senator Brown, you have 20 seconds left. I draw your attention to the fact that you had sought leave to make a statement and not to debate the matter. Senator BOB BROWN: The point here is that I think the opposition ought to lift their game. The Australian people will want them to do that, and lift their sights. They want to debate the economy. Let's debate the economy instead of this very tawdry personal politics they are engaged in in this chamber. (Time expired) The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Before I recognise Senator Bernardi, I advise senators of the ruling of the Procedure Committee. It was adopted by the Senate chamber. It was the second report of 2011. In part it reads: Standing order 66(3) provides that a formal motion shall be put and determined without amendment or debate ... In particular, the number of statements being made by leave in relation to complex motions leads to a de facto debate on those motions, contrary to standing order 66. This is because senators, instead of making statements, assert views in the nature of debate by mounting arguments and responding to positions expressed by others. This was adopted by the Senate. It was adopted without debate or quarrel. I ask senators to observe the Procedure Committee report that was adopted. Senator Faulkner: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order going to the nature of the ruling that you make. I appreciate you reading out the report of the Procedure Committee. It is important for the Senate to understand that this relates to statements that are made at the time of discovery of formal business and when we are dealing with general business notices of motion. It has become the practice of the Senate for senators, either concerned about a motion or moving a motion, to seek leave to make a statement. The clarification of this relating to statements in the Senate in discovery of formal business is a critical element of the ruling that you made. Perhaps it ought to be reinforced for the benefit of senators.