Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, speaking to Senator Ferguson’s point of order, I reinforce standing order 193(3), which does refer to ‘all personal reflections’ and indicates that they are ‘highly disorderly’. There was a lot of discussion and noise in the chamber and perhaps, Mr President, you did not hear it, but I think the conduct of the Leader of the Government in the Senate really does require recognition as being highly disorderly.

I would just say that, if it is about one of us in the chamber, well, we are all big boys and girls and we can take it and give it back as much. But, when you are talking about someone in another house, who has no opportunity of refuting those personal slurs, I think it deserves a ruling from the President that the conduct of the Leader of the Government in the Senate was indeed highly disorderly.