Senator CONROY (Victoria—Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity) (14:05): I am afraid I cannot take seriously a question from those opposite that tries to pretend that they are remotely interested in working Australians. Absolutely not. It is impossible to take seriously the National Party, the white-shoe brigade, the party that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mr Clive Palmer— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, I will give you the call when there is silence on both sides. Senator Brandis. Senator Brandis: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Conroy is up to his old tricks again. You have ruled repeatedly that abusing the opposition or opposition parties is not an answer to a question about policy. He was asked one question. He was asked whether consideration was given to two particular matters: the effect on Indigenous peoples and the effect on Gladstone refineries. He has not addressed either. The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order. The minister has been going 18 seconds. I am listening closely to the minister's answer. He has 42 seconds remaining in which to address the question. Senator CONROY: Thank you, Mr President. It is no surprise to see Senator Brandis being so precious about the mention of Clive Palmer. The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, just come to your answer. Senator CONROY: Senator Boswell asked specifically about the impact on working families in Gladstone. Well, Senator Boswell would not know one if he fell over it. Let us be very clear: he knows the way through the front door of Clive Palmer's jet, so he knows the way there and so does Senator Brandis and so does Senator Bernardi— The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, come to the question. Senator CONROY: and a few of the others. The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, come to the question! Senator CONROY: They know where that is. But they would not know a working family if they fell over it. Senator Heffernan: Mr President, on a point of order: Senator Conroy, with a trade union background, should withdraw his inference that people like myself are not interested in working Australians. I am a working Australian. Farmers are working Australians. The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order. It is a debating point. Senator Brandis: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. It is that it is obvious to everyone in the chamber that Senator Conroy flagrantly for most of the course of his answer defied your ruling. If your authority in the chair is to be supported by this chamber, you must insist on imposing your rulings upon him. The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order.