Senator WONG (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:08): This is the extent to which this government does not want to talk about loss of workers' jobs. This is the extent to which this government will go to avoid facing up to the sabotaging of Holden that has occurred under this government. This is question time, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. This is question time—when the government of the day answers questions from the opposition and from the crossbenchers about important issues. It is a day after thousands of workers and their families in this country faced the extraordinarily sad prospect of not being employed in safe and secure jobs in which they had been employed for years, and what does this government want to do? It wants to pull a stunt in question time so they can change the subject. Well, I tell you what: workers and their families across this country are alive to you. They know what you are doing. They know you do not want to come in here and face the music. They know you do not want to come in here and answer questions such as these. You do not want to come in here and answer questions about the $500 million that you took out of the car industry prior to 2015. You do not want to come in here and answer questions— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Honourable senators interjecting— Senator Heffernan: Mr President— The PRESIDENT: Order! Wait, Senator Heffernan. I will not give you the call when there is shouting across the chamber. It is disorderly. When there is quiet I will give you the call. Order! Senator Heffernan: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My understanding is that question time for an hour follows this debate, so the leader is misleading the parliament. The PRESIDENT: Order! That is not a point of order. That is a debating point, Senator Heffernan. Senator Heffernan: Question time follows this debate. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! As I did for Senator Abetz, I am asking for silence on both sides. Senator WONG: The reality is: this government sought, when it comes to the car industry, to not only take $500 million out between now and 2015 but provide it with nothing other than uncertainty beyond 2015. In this last week we have seen in this parliament this government sabotaging Holden through the leaking of senior economic ministers, followed by the Treasurer of the country goading Holden and daring them to make a decision, and the Acting Prime Minister demanding that they make a decision ahead of your review. As to why you are doing this today, let everyone be clear: this is a stunt to change the subject. We know that if you had been really serious about managing this debate properly, you would have done so. But you did not. You have mismanaged your program. And instead of Senator Abetz reflecting on the way in which he and the government have managed their program, he comes in here instead to undertake a stunt, to try and show, presumably to the Prime Minister's office and other people: 'No, we are really trying to get it through. We really are.' I think the example was when we had one of their own senators, Senator Macdonald, taking up government business time to move an amendment to one of their own committees and using the debating time to have a go at the Prime Minister's office. Do not come in here and tell us that you have managed your program well. We know what has happened in here. You have mismanaged the program— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Those on my left: Senator Wong is entitled to be heard in silence. Order! Senator WONG: The facts are: this is nothing more than a stunt to try and have Senator Abetz demonstrate to the powers that be in the Prime Minister's office that he is really trying to do what they asked him to do because, frankly, the way they have managed the chamber, the way they have managed the debate, the way they have failed to manage the contributions by their own senators has meant they are now in a position where they want to put in place a gag and a guillotine. That is what they do. They want to put in place a guillotine. They want to manage debate so there is not proper debate. Senator Abetz interjecting— Senator Fifield interjecting— Senator WONG: Can I make these points. The PRESIDENT: Order! Others wishing to participate in the debate may do so. Senator Abetz interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Wong, continue. Senator WONG: I think Senator Abetz's own comments might be useful here. In March 2013 he said: Can I repeat—repeat—and say very, very strongly on behalf of the opposition that we oppose any further adjourning of the Senate, because we believe these issues need to be ventilated, and ventilated fully. He goes on to say: They are treating this chamber in a most shameful manner. We have a situation where, with virtually no notice, the Manager of Government Business moves to change the sitting hours— … … … … when it comes to the management of this place the safest and most respectful pair of hands to manage the Senate is not the Green-Labor alliance … we actually do respect this place. We know that what is happening on that side is a government that has mismanaged its program and does not want to talk about Holden workers. (Time expired)