Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
3:02 pm
Mr President, I do not expect a ruling now, but there was an overuse of the term 'idiot' during question time applied to members of the House of Representatives, and I would invite you to have a look at the Hansard to see whether that was parliamentary and whether or not it needs to be withdrawn.
Stephen Conroy Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
It has taken nearly 30 minutes for those opposite to rise to defend Mr Hockey!
John Hogg President
3:03 pm
Order! Senator Abetz, I will review the Hansard and if there is a need I will come back to the chamber.
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Mr President, I thank you for that. Given Senator Conroy's immature intervention just then, it is quite obvious that that is what Senator Conroy did. As a result, it could all be truncated by Senator Conroy having the decency to get up now and withdraw.