Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (15:39): I rise to speak on the motion to take note. Mr Deputy President, you have allowed a wide-ranging debate. I do not query that. That has been the tradition here. But I would point out, of course, that the opposition did not ask one question today about the AWU matter. In fact, they have largely failed to all week. Senator Joyce: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. In fact we did. On supplementary, two of my questions— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Joyce, that is not a point of order; that is debating the matter. Senator Evans, you have a call. Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr Deputy President, I think if you check the Hansard record, you will find the question was about the electricity privatisation. The fact that the senator then went on to try and cast slurs and aspersions later in his contribution is a reflection on him. Senator Brandis: Mr Deputy President, on a point of order: would you rule, please, Mr Deputy President, whether, when the Senate is debating taking note of answers to questions asked in question time, it is at liberty to address answers to supplementary questions, because if it is—and that has always been my understanding of the practice—then what Senator Evans just said is quite wrong. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I will just clarify for the point of senators here today that the motion moved by Senator Abetz was to take note of all answers—so that is all answers; supplementary questions included—given by ministers to all question asked by opposition senators. That is what we are debating. Senator Evans, you have the call. Senator CHRIS EVANS: We are used to Senator Brandis puffing himself up to his full height of importance and trying to pretend that he brings his legal skills and experience to these debates. What he brings is dirty, low-grade accusations. Yesterday he did accuse the Prime Minister of criminal activity. He accused her of being a party to a conspiracy to defraud. This is the same bloke who tries to ring up police commissioners or Liberal police ministers to put in the fix to try to get them to take action to suit his political interests. This is the bloke who has no standards. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Evans! Senator Brandis on a point of order? Senator Brandis: That assertion is false, but it is also unparliamentary because it suggests corruption. I ask that it be withdrawn. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: You were debating the point on the second matter. As far as the unparliamentary matter is concerned, Senator Evans, if you wanted to withdraw that part of your comment, I would be happy for you to do so. Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr Deputy President, I am not sure to which part you refer, but I am happy to cooperate with you. If I said something unparliamentary I would of course withdraw it. I was referring to the fact that Senator Brandis has been known in the past for getting politically involved in questions around the member for Dobell, Mr Thomson, and to engage with the then New South Wales Attorney General on that matter. I also understand that he sought to engage with the New South Wales police minister on that issue and also sought to engage with the police commissioner. Senator Brandis has form. Senator Brandis: On a point of order, Mr Deputy President: the third of those statements—the statement referring to the New South Wales Police Commissioner—is false. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, you are debating— Senator Brandis: It is an invention. It implies improper conduct and I ask that it be withdrawn. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: There was no point of order, Senator Brandis—you were debating the matter. Senator Evans, you have a call. Senator Wong: You can dish it out but you cannot take it. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Wong! Senator CHRIS EVANS: Senator Brandis's glass jaw is famous. Senator Brandis has form. He has abandoned any pretence of impartiality, of the rule of law, as he has gone along with the Liberal Party as they sought to slur the Treasurer, Mr Swan, with the information from Godwin Grech. Remember of the accusations they made? Remember the prosecution? Remember the allegations of improper conduct that they cast then? That brought down their previous leader. Senator Brandis: Mr Deputy President, my point of order is not that I had nothing whatsoever to do with the Godwin Grech affair— Senator Wong: Mr Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Wong! I am dealing with a point of order. You can speak to the point of order in a moment. Senator Wong, you do not have a call. Senator Brandis: Let me start again. My point of order is not that I in fact had nothing to do with the Godwin Grech affair. My point of order is that I was the chairman of the Senate Privileges— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: You are debating the point, Senator Brandis. That is not a point of order. Senator Brandis: Let me finish the point of order. Senator Wong interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong, I will give you the call in a moment. Senator Brandis: Let me finish my point of order. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, first of all, I will come to you in a moment. Senator Brandis, if you can explain the point of order or indicate what the point of order is and come to it quickly, I will appreciate that. Senator Brandis: This is the point of order: I was the chairman of the Senate Privileges Committee, which examined the Godwin Grech affair. Government senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! I am going to deal with the point of order first. Senator Brandis: In making the statement he just made, the Leader of the Government in the Senate reflects upon me as the chairman of the Senate Privileges Committee and on the Senate Privileges Committee itself. Honourable senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senators! Senator Brandis, there is no point of order. Senator Wong, did you still wish to raise a matter on the point of order? We have now come to the conclusion of the time for this debate.