DOCUMENTS

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (10:30): The government, of course, opposes what Senator McKenzie is trying to achieve here today. Senator McKenzie interjecting— Senator WATT: Australians elected us on the promise of delivering our commitments, and we're delivering with proper process. I'll come to the comparison between what the Albanese government has done, compared to certain other grant programs that we've seen administered by previous governments, shortly.

But I'll just put on the record the way this government has managed this process, and let's remember that this is about— Senator McKenzie interjecting— Senator WATT: Senator McKenzie was heard in silence, Acting Deputy President. It'd be appreciated if she could treat other senators with the same respect. Senator McKenzie interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Order!

Senator WATT: Well, she clearly can't. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Watt— Senator WATT: Are you defensive about something, Senator McKenzie?

Is it sports rorts you're defensive about? Is that why you can't shut up when other people are speaking? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Minister, resume your seat.

Senator McKenzie interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: No, just wait, Senator. Previous speakers were heard in silence, as you were heard in silence, Senator McKenzie, and as were previous speakers. If we could just lower the tone and let the speakers get through.

It's only five minutes each. Now, Senator McKenzie, did you have a point of order, or have we passed that now? Senator McKenzie: A point of order on the words that the minister used: I don't think yelling 'shut up' across at other senators is parliamentary.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, I'm sorry. I did not hear that. But there was a little bit of to and fro going on; both sides were trying to talk over each other.

The minister has the call. There are only four minutes left. Let's see if we can get through it without a blue.

Senator WATT: It would be helpful if senators who were heard in silence could give the same level of respect to other senators when they're speaking. What the Albanese government has done differently with this election commitment program—an election commitment program that governments from time immemorial have delivered—is to clearly follow the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles, which were updated to take account of the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit inquiry into Commonwealth grants administration.

The Commonwealth grants guidelines explicitly allow closed, non-competitive, grant processes and assert that better-practice non-competitive grants should name eligible applicants and provide information on how eligibility is determined. And that's exactly what was done with this grants program. In every possible way, the Albanese government, through this grants program, has not just closely followed but followed in every way the guidelines that have been issued for grants programs and that were updated to take into account recommendations from inquiries into previous grants rounds.

Speaking of previous grants rounds, the most puzzling aspect, I think, of the opposition's attack on the government over a number of weeks and today about this grants program is that it has been led by Senator McKenzie. I remember, when this story first blew up in the media, being incredibly surprised that, of all the people in this parliament, Senator McKenzie would be the person leading the charge for the opposition over this.

We know that her motivation is to desperately continue to try to clear her name from not just her involvement but her leadership role in the biggest rort committed under the former coalition government. And that is really saying something, because we know that that government had a series of rorted programs, whether it be the car park program that old mate Josh Frydenberg, wannabe opposition leader, engineered, or various regional rorts that were committed, particularly led by the National Party.

But, sitting on top of them, the biggest rorted program under the former coalition government was the one led by Senator McKenzie, better known as sports rorts. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Henderson, do you have a point of order? Senator Henderson: Yes—a point of order on a reflection on Senator McKenzie by Senator Watt.

I would ask him to withdraw that grubby remark. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I think there's been a lot of media attention around what the minister is talking about. I don't see a disparity, but you can challenge my ruling, if you— Senator Henderson: To clarify— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Henderson, I was halfway through, but for the purpose of trying to get through this, I will give you call for a point of order—not a debate but a point of order.

Senator Henderson: To add to the concerns that I have raised— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Your point of order, Senator? Senator Henderson: The point of order is on a reflection of Senator McKenzie. The Senate has previously ruled that that should not— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Henderson, I'm going to cut you off.

I'm going to ask you to go back to your seat. The mic is turned off. I've already said—and you are welcome to challenge it—I will give the call back to the minister.

He one minute and 43 seconds left. Senator WATT: I don't know whether Senator Henderson heard Senator McKenzie's contribution, but, if you want to talk about reflections on people, have a look at the reflections made by your colleague in her entire contribution. As I was saying, I am still really surprised that even today in the chamber, of all opposition senators, it's Senator McKenzie who's leading the charge on this matter.

Any rational person, if they ran sports rorts, would want to pretend that that had never happened, but Senator McKenzie wants to keep bobbing up, reminding us that she was the person who led the sports rorts. She had to resign because of sports rorts, yet she has the hide to come in here and try to lecture our government about proper procedure when it comes to grants rounds, not having followed any of that procedure when she was the minister herself.

I mean, the thing that Senator McKenzie is best known for in her entire contribution to parliament over her long career is sports rorts, and yet she wants to come in here, remind everyone about that, and then challenge us when we're the government that's following every single guideline— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Minister, I'll get you to resume your seat, please.

Senator Henderson? Senator Henderson: I have a point of order on a reflection on Senator McKenzie. I've just sought some advice from the Clerk.

The point of order is that it is not open to Minister Watts to infer that Senator McKenzie has been guilty of any sort of rort. That is a reflection on a senator, and it must be withdrawn. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): You can take all the advice—and I welcome you taking all that advice—and I'll just sit here.

I sat here and heard the previous contribution and the attacks on the minister and the Prime Minister, so maybe I should be spanked for not pulling up on that earlier. I'm going to give the call back to the minister. He has 37 seconds to go.

As I said, please feel free to challenge it. Senator WATT: Who can forget the infamous colour coded spreadsheets that were prepared by Senator McKenzie's office in the sports rorts saga to clearly differentiate the treatment that Senator McKenzie, as the minister in that government, was dealing out between Labor, Liberal, National Party and other electorates.

If you want more graphic evidence of the rorting of that program that was led by Senator McKenzie, let's go back to the spreadsheets. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson?

Senator Henderson: On a point of order, Minister Watts continues to reflect inappropriately on Senator McKenzie, in breach of the standing orders. Again, I would ask if you could seek the advice of the Clerk. This is most improper.

It's been ruled against previously. I would ask that you seek the advice of the Clerk, who's just advised me that this is in breach of the standing orders. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I will give the call back to the minister.

I have already stated my views on this, and I have said to you— Senator Henderson interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Don't get into a blue! I've sat through many debates in this chamber. This is a debate that's been going on for about six or seven years, I believe.

There is no point of order. Minister, you have the call for 10 seconds if you want to finish. Senator WATT: In conclusion, the irony of Senator McKenzie, of all people, demanding that ministers come and attend, and explain processes that were complete with guidelines— (Time expired) Opposition senators interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

I was just telling the minister his time has expired. I don't need the peanut gallery screaming at me—I'll withdraw that. You're really starting to push now.

Let's leave it.