QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:49): Again, what I have said is that we will do all that we can to shield Australians from the worst of this global uncertainty. You are someone who does understand the global implications of this on the global economy, and you would know that this is a shock to global energy markets that we have not seen.

You would understand the importance of us working together—government; the opposition, I would hope, though it's a matter for them; community; business; and the states and territories—to deal with the global circumstances that we are navigating, as all countries of the world are. I also have great confidence in Australia and Australians' capacity to navigate these crises.

If you look back at our history, whether it's the global financial crisis or COVID, you see that we are a country that has sound policy-making, the capacity to coordinate well between private and public sectors and the capacity for communities to be part of responding to changed circumstances. Again I would say we will do what is required and all that we can to shield Australians from the worst of this uncertainty.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Colbeck, first supplementary?