George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Acting Deputy President, I am with Senator Sherry on this. I entirely agree that robust language is perfectly appropriate in this forum, but unfortunately we are all bound now by the President’s ruling that the word ‘impertinent’ is so offensive that it may not be used against a member of another house. If such a mild criticism is unparliamentary, then necessarily, if you are to be faithful to the President’s ruling, Madam Acting Deputy President, the much more seriously abusive language that has fallen from Senator Cameron must equally—indeed, even more so—be ruled out of order.