Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Could I just indicate to the chamber that Senator Kim Carr, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, will be absent from Senate question time this week—from 16 to 19 June—due to their ministerial commitments overseas. This week, Senator Carr is in San Diego leading a delegation of over 450 Australian corporations, universities and public research agencies at Bio-08, the world’s largest biotechnology convention, and has a series of other commitments. Senator Conroy is the vice chair of the OECD conference on the future of the internet economy in Korea. This meeting is a once in a decade opportunity for Australia to take a leading role in shaping the international digital economy.

The ministerial and representational responsibilities for this week will be undertaken in the following manner: Senator Nick Sherry will represent the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer; Senator Ludwig will represent the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy; Senator Faulkner will represent the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; I will represent the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy; and Senator Wong will represent the Minister for Education. In advising the chamber, I apologise to senators that they were not notified until this morning of the changes of arrangement. That was an error on my part.