Senator CASH (Western Australia—Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women) (15:01): I thank Senator Wong for her question. I have to say that if I knew Senator Wong had paid this much attention and had wanted this much detail in relation to border protection policies, perhaps this government—and you can take a point of order because you do not like the truth— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! When there is silence, I will call Senator Moore, who is on her feet. Senator Moore. Senator Moore: Thank you, Mr President. My point of order is about relevance, and I thank the minister for her help. In terms of the process, it is responding to Senator Wong's question about documents that were tabled in response to our request. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has been going for 16 seconds at this stage and the minister still has one minute 44 seconds remaining. I am listening closely to the minister's answer. There is no point of order at this stage. Senator CASH: Thank you, Mr President. Let me tell you what contempt is. Contempt is when the former government, in relation to the statistics that I tabled, determined that because there were so many people coming into this country illegally by boat— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order! Senator Moore: Thank you, Mr President. Again I have a point of order on relevance. After the initial point of order, we felt that there would be a return to the question, and there has not been. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order on both sides! Senator Cash and Senator Wong, there is no point debating it across the chamber. Senator Moore has taken a point of order correctly. When there is silence on my left, I will proceed—and on my right. At this stage there is no point of order. The minister has one minute and 25 seconds left on the clock to address the question. Senator CASH: In relation to content, as I was saying, this government on assuming office determined that it would recommence publishing the statistics in relation to immigration detention, because the former government had made a decision not to publish them. The longest period of time being five continuous months in which the department did not put up on any website the statistics, I asked at estimates time and time again for them. What was the responses that I got? 'The department is currently not putting up the statistics.' So Senator Wong, when you stand up in this place and you accuse someone of being contemptuous, that is the pot calling the kettle black, quite frankly, based on your government's record in relation to the provision that the Australian public— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order! Have you completed your answer? You have 26 seconds. Senator CASH: No, I have 26 seconds to go! Seriously, they gave me a dorothy dixer—why would I stop? Contempt is when the former government hides from the Australian people the true state of the detention network in Australia. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order on my left! Senator Moore is on her feet. You will get the call, Senator Moore, when there is silence on both sides. When there is silence, Senator Bernardi, I will proceed. Order! Senator Moore: Mr President, my point of order is about relevance. The question was specifically about the tabling of public documents that have been in the public arena for over a month. That was the question. Senator Cash interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Cash, you have 17 seconds remaining. At this point there is still no point of order. I invite the minister to address the question. Senator CASH: Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, this government made a decision on day one that it would recommence publishing the statistics in relation to Australia's detention network and would clean up the mess that those on the other side have created.