QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:57): As I said, the excise started on 1 April. That will flow through to consumers over the coming days. I'm pleased to report—and this is a South Australian answer—that the Adelaide Advertiser reported that fuel prices were down 30c per litre and unleaded was dropping to $2.29 on Wednesday morning in much of the state's metro area and regional centres, while diesel had also dropped below the $3 bar, following the federal government's announcement on Monday to cut the fuel excise by half, reducing the cost of fuel and saving drivers around $16 when filling up a 60-litre tank.

I hope, Senator, that you will welcome that. But I suspect she'll be back where the talking points are, which is—you really don't want to talk about these talking points? Did you give them away?

The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume? Senator Hume: On direct relevance, President. The talking points that Minister Wong refers to—I'd like them to be tabled, because they're different to mine.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Hume, resume your seat! Senator Hume, resume your seat! Order!

Senator Hume, when I ask you to resume your seat, you resume your seat. You do not continue to ignore me, trying to make some clever point. You are being disrespectful.

Minister, please continue. Senator WONG: When it comes to the leaked talking points, me thinks the deputy doth protest too much.