Senator ARBIB (New South Wales—Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Sport and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (18:45): Can I indicate on behalf of the government that we will not be supporting the motion to dissent from the ruling of the President on 25 November last year. As my colleague Senator Evans said on Friday, 25 November, the government believes that the President followed proper process in considering the matter raised by Senator Brown relating to Senator Boswell. At the time Senator Evans was clear that he was not commenting in any way on the substance of the matters raised by Senator Brown. The question the government is considering in relation to this matter is merely whether the President has followed proper process, if he has acted somehow in a partisan way. Mr President, on 25 November 2011 you provided your reasons to the chamber for not referring the matter raised in this motion to the Privileges Committee. The reasoning you presented is thorough and the government accepts it. I take this opportunity to again reiterate that the government believes that the President followed proper process and sought to give fair process to all senators. I am certain that the President took advice from the clerks and that the President made his ruling taking the advice into account.