QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:14): The Prime Minister was in the Hunter to announce what this government has done—with very good work, if I can say, from Senator Ayres, the minister, and others, including the member of federal parliament Ms Swanson— Senator Ruston: Do you reckon you could be relevant to the question?

Senator WONG: I'll take the interjection from Senator Ruston. You know, only Senator Ruston and Liberal senators could say there was nothing relevant about Australian jobs. Only a Liberal senator and a member of the leadership team could come into this place and say there's nothing relevant about Australian jobs.

Senator Paterson interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Paterson, I'd invite you to look around and see you have a senator on her feet. Senator Kovacic. Senator Kovacic: Relevance.

None of that answer, to that point, had anything to do with my question at all. The PRESIDENT: Well, Senator Kovacic, the minister is being relevant, and I will remind those on my left that if they make interjections, the minister is entitled to take the interjections. Senator WONG: Senator Kovacic, you've referred to the Prime Minister's press conference.

What was important about that press conference is what was being announced, which was the protection of many jobs in this country, and we are very proud of that. The PRESIDENT: Senator Kovacic, second supplementary?