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

Mr President, on indulgence, I failed at the start of question time to advise the Senate of the absence of Senator Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change and Water, from question time, in accordance with the letter I sent to all leaders of the parties last week. Senator Wong is attending the pre-COP ministerial meeting in Warsaw and is engaged on those duties. Senator John Faulkner will be responsible for Climate Change and Water, and Environment, Heritage and the Arts; and Senator Ludwig will answer questions on Attorney-General, Home Affairs and the Status of Women. I apologise for forgetting to do this at the start of question time.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On similar indulgence, I would like to comment very briefly on what Senator Evans has just informed us. I do know from experience in government that ministers responsible for environment and climate change seem to spend an enormous amount of time attending international conferences—which expel not much more than a whole lot of hot air—so we do understand that Senator Wong does have to travel. But this is the second full week in the last three sitting weeks that Senator Wong has been absent from this chamber in question time, and it was certainly my rule as a minister never to be absent from question time. For two of the last three sitting weeks she has been absent. I think that is stretching the bounds of the tolerance of the chamber and shows some disrespect for the chamber. But I would simply ask the government to make sure that Senator Wong is indeed here for all of estimates next week and here for all of the last sitting weeks that remain of this year.