QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:36): I thank Senator Roberts for his intriguing question and thank him for the advance notice, which gives me an opportunity to give a very factual response. Senator Scarr: As opposed to usual. Senator FARRELL: That is very unkind.

Look, I could be hurt by something like that, but I won't take offence. So just as to make sure I understand this particular project, the idea behind this particular project, is to run a transcontinental railway line from Pilbara through to the Bowen Basin. That's the proposal we're talking about here, I think.

Senator Roberts, just to make sure—? The PRESIDENT: Senator Farrell, Senator Roberts has asked a fulsome question. It's not question and answer.

Thank you for standing, Senator Roberts, but I'm going to ask the minister to continue. Senator FARRELL: Well, let's assume for the purpose of the debate—and perhaps in your subsequent question, you can answer that question—if this item has only recently been put forward to the NAIF then I don't think the proponents on a proposal like this, a very dramatic big-picture proposal, should necessarily expect a response in weeks.

It obviously is a very ambitious project. I can recall when South Australia handed back the Northern Territory to the federal government in 1911, the condition was that the railway line between Alice Springs and Darwin would be completed and that took another 80 years to happen, so these big-picture proposals don't occur overnight. But can I say this— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts, a first supplementary?