Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I advise the Senate that Senator Canavan will be absent from question time today due to overseas ministerial business. In Senator Canavan's absence, Senator Scullion will represent the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, and Senator Scullion will also represent the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. I advise senators that, in addition to my portfolio and representational responsibilities, I will be answering questions in relation to Prime Minister, Treasurer, Finance, Revenue and Financial Services and Special Minister of State.

In addition to her existing responsibilities, Senator Payne will answer questions in relation to the portfolios of Women, Home Affairs, Immigration and Border Protection, Social Services, Attorney-General, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Law Enforcement and Cyber Security, International Development and the Pacific and Human Services. In addition to their existing portfolio responsibilities, Senator Scullion will answer questions in relation to Jobs and Innovation and Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation, and Senator McKenzie will take questions in relation to Communications and the Arts. I table a letter regarding government leadership arrangements.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—It may have been dealt with by the letter that has just been tabled by Senator Birmingham, but I ask a very simple question: who leads the government in this chamber?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have tabled a letter that deals with that, and I can inform the Senate that I have been appointed the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Payne has been appointed the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Senator Ruston has been appointed the Manager of Government Business in the Senate.