The DEPUTY PRESIDENT (4:00 PM) —Yesterday Senator Lightfoot, when in the chair in committee of the whole on the Regional Forest Agreements Bill, undertook to refer to me a point of order raised by Senator Brown in relation to remarks made by Senator Ian Macdonald. Senator Lightfoot indicated that he did not hear the comments by Senator Macdonald as being made about any particular senator.

On reading the Hansard transcript, it is fairly clear that Senator Macdonald was referring to Senator Brown when he referred to `some senators—I should say only one— deliberately putting up false information' and to the tactics of `fascists, anarchists and Marxists' seeking to prevent other views being heard. Such imputations against a senator are contrary to standing order 193. I ask senators to refrain from making such imputations, with or without subtlety which might make them difficult to follow at the time when they are uttered.