Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I inform the Senate that Senator Johnston, the Minister for Defence, will be absent from the Senate today. He is attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium hosted by the Chief of Navy.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, yes, it is in Perth. For the purposes of question time I will be representing infrastructure and regional development portfolio and Senator Brandis will be representing the Minister for Defence.