Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (09:39): We have just heard the most outrageous allegation against Senator Sinodinos, haven't we? We just heard it, then, from Senator Wong. Supposedly, somebody has to give an explanation. Really? Is that as good as the opposition can do in this place? So sanctimonious yet so shallow is this Senator Wong. The opposition is so unprepared to vote on the carbon tax and so unprepared to vote on the mining tax before the West Australian Senate election that they will use and consume whatever time there is in this place to ensure that we do not get to vote on those important issues before the West Australian Senate election. Let us make no mistake that this is the Senator Wong that went to the Australian people saying there will be no carbon tax and then introduced one, who then said that the budget was in good shape, and we have seen how very bad a shape it was in. Senator Lines interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Lines, you will cease yelling across the chamber. Senator ABETZ: Yet Senator Wong comes in here, so sanctimonious, claiming that she is so clean. She claims that she is the upholder of all these great standards yet she was the great defender of Craig Thomson and the great defender of Michael Williamson. If we want to go into people's history before they entered parliament, let us have a look at the corrupt dealings of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, of which Senator Wong used to be an official. Let us put her in the stand and ask her what she knew about the corrupt dealings of the CFMEU when she was an official of it. We on this side of the chamber say that there is possibly something to explain, but not before the Senate, because this was a period before she was a senator or a minister of the crown—albeit we would love to hear an explanation from Senator Wong about all of her activities in the CFMEU. Clearly, Senator Sinodinos has given a proper, full, detailed, honest explanation to this chamber. Above and beyond that, as important as Senator Wong is, and as bloated as she is with her own self-importance— Honourable senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Both sides of the chamber will come to order. Senator ABETZ: As important as Senator Wong is, we would say to her with great respect that she ain't quite as important as ICAC! ICAC is the proper place for evidence to be provided, and that is exactly what Senator Sinodinos has said he will do. He will provide full and frank detail and cooperate in every possible way with ICAC. Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, stop yelling across the chamber. Senator ABETZ: He has said he will do that, and we have every confidence that he will do exactly that. Senator Sinodinos said he will undoubtedly take some tutorials from Senator Doug Cameron and Greg Combet on how to appear before ICAC, because people are called as witnesses from time to time before ICAC. Indeed, we will have that opportunity and we will then be able to see what the actual evidence is. But keep this in mind: Senator Sinodinos has only been called as a witness. Government senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senators on my left, there is too much noise. Senator ABETZ: No allegation has been made against Senator Sinodinos except this pathetic, puerile attempt by the Leader of the Opposition to say that somehow there was an allegation. But, I don't know, I did not quite understand, at the end of the speech, what the allegation was. I do not think anybody else understood what it was, either. I simply say that this is a stunt by Labor. I got a letter from the Leader of the Opposition delivered to my office at 10 to nine saying that in 40 minutes this is what would happen. And, sure enough, it has happened. But what is even worse—guess what?—Sky News rang my office to see what my response would be to this, within minutes of this letter being delivered. This is all about a media stunt. It is about mobilising the media. Senator Wong does not believe in this as a matter of credibility for this place, as a matter of integrity; it is a media stunt—nothing more, nothing less. Government senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senators on my left, come to order. Senator ABETZ: It was a pathetic attempt by this Leader of the Opposition yet again to wind down the time in this chamber so they do not have to deal with the issues of the day that would create jobs for our fellow Australians, like getting rid of the carbon tax, getting rid of the mining tax and reinstituting the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which might actually bring the CFMEU to heel—of which the good senator herself was a very important official. The appropriate place is ICAC, not the Senate.