QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (15:02): I'm happy to talk about what is a laughing matter and what is not. The coalition's economic policy is a laughing matter. The coalition's environmental policy is a laughing matter.

The coalition's economic policy is a mess, and we know that the coalition's health policy is a laughing matter. The reality is this lot have not learned from the election. They still have not learnt.

Senator Henderson is on her feet again! Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Before I come to you, Senator Henderson—I do appreciate you're on your feet—I have called senators out by their names enough. Quite frankly, you are being disrespectful, and I don't want to have to continue to do that for the next 33 seconds.

If you can't listen in silence, there's the door. Senator Henderson: I have a point of order on direct relevance. My question is: why won't the government rule out a spare-bedroom tax?

Could you ask the minister to be directly relevant? The PRESIDENT: Stop there, Senator Henderson. The minister is being directly relevant to your question.

Senator WONG: I'm using your words. You talked about what was a laughing matter. Well, the coalition's economic policy and tax policy are laughing matters.

The coalition's health policy is a laughing matter. The coalition's climate policy is, laughably, back where they were 20 years ago and 23 policies behind. Of course, their nuclear policy remains a laughing matter because some still support it.

You are not a serious party of government, you are not listening to your voters and you are not listening to where Australians are. On that note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.