QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:27): I've never watched late-night Sky in my life, and it's very rare for me to agree with something that Mr Joyce from the other place has said. Last night he said that Rio Tinto has done a greater assessment on Australia's energy policy than anybody else. Indeed, they have.

What Rio Tinto, one of the owners of this facility, says is that coal fired electricity is the problem. Senator Canavan interjecting— Senator AYRES: And it is the electricity failure of those opposite that has caused the problem and made electricity unaffordable. If they were in power, continuing to build no power, this facility would close, and it's fallen to us to fix the problem that you created.

Senator Canavan interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Canavan, come to order. This is not an opportunity to see who can shout the loudest. Senator O'Neill, second supplementary?