QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:39): Pass the bill. How about you pass the bill? There's a lot of complaining over there.

This is a bill that needs to be passed. If you have problems with the current environmental legislation, Senator— The PRESIDENT: Minister— Senator WONG: I'm not surprised you're getting to your feet, Senator McDonald. It's a bit embarrassing.

The PRESIDENT: Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator McKenzie interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator McKenzie, I've called you to order on several occasions, and you've simply ignored me.

That is disrespectful. Senator McDonald? Senator McDonald: I raise a point of order on relevance—I asked about taxpayer's funds, not about environmental approvals.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator McDonald. The minister is being relevant to your question. Senator Watt: You're not interested in passing the bill?

The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt, this is not your question. Minister Wong, have you finished your answer? Senator WONG: Senator, I've seen comments by a number of commentators and also by the BCA about your position on the bill, and I'd invite you to consider those.

I'd invite you to consider ensuring that you engage properly and responsibly with this legislation because this act is in need of reform. A number of the things you're critical of are precisely the sorts of issues that the minister is seeking to address, so perhaps, instead of trying to play a bit of politics around this and the critical minerals agreement with the US administration, you could pass the legislation.