QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:55): How can the Australian people trust an opposition who so clearly is not up to the job? How can the Australian people trust an opposition when you've got the leader and Mr Hastie—I'm sorry, what is his portfolio? Defence!—contradicting each other on policy quite openly and leading to Mr Taylor saying, 'I'm going to counsel him,' and then Mr Hastie saying, 'Well, actually, it was more like a chat between mates.' The PRESIDENT: Minister Wong, please resume your seat.

Senator Paterson, a point of order? Senator Paterson: It's on direct relevance. I'm not sure what the minister's observations about people in the other House have to do with the Prime Minister getting massive fact wrong.

The PRESIDENT: I have reminded the chamber over and over—there is no need to have an explanation. You've called a point of order. I'll remind the minister of the question.

Minister Wong? Senator WONG: I'm asked about what the Australian people can trust, and I am simply saying that those opposite have demonstrated recently but also in the election, as I said—the party of higher taxes, higher deficits and more debt—that they are not to be trusted. So if we want to talk about trust, I think we know which party is serious— (Time expired)