Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallagher for her question. Obviously, as you would expect, all ministers in the Morrison-Joyce government accept their responsibilities in relation to their obligations under the ministerial code and take them very, very seriously. However, Minister Pitt has made a number of comments in relation to issues that he feels very strongly about, and obviously he has the right to make those comments and those decisions. But, of course, as a government, we remain absolutely committed to sticking together.

Senator McKenzie has made comment today and on many, many occasions, and yesterday and the day before. I think she's probably very relieved that she's only had one question today. I thought that you might have continued with your track record this week of asking Senator McKenzie every question from that side of the chamber. But the one thing that this government, the National Party and the Liberal Party in coalition, does is that we work together respectfully to make sure that we deal with the issues that are important to all Australians—Australians that live in the city and Australians that live in rural and regional areas—because it is incumbent on all governments to make sure that we canvass the concerns of every Australian when we make very important policy decisions.

Minister Pitt, I and many other ministers in this government are expressing in this debate—respectfully amongst ourselves—the views of the constituencies that we represent. We have seen, through the responses that you have received from Senator McKenzie over the recent days, just how respectful that conversation is. And I can assure you that we will continue to have a respectful conversation with the people of Australia on this very, very important policy decision on our climate policy going forward, because it matters to Australians. It matters to them what this is going to cost and it matters how we plan to get there. (Time expired)