Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise with, I'm sure, the agreement of the Deputy Government Whip, Senator Ciccone, over there that there's no greater joy in the Senate than rising, impromptu, with a couple of minutes of notice, to fill in the gap when senators' statements don't go for quite as long as they should. It's truly one of the great things we do in this place. I'm enjoying it today. I'm standing here to grab that extra 1½ minutes that was not used by other senators.

During this time I'd like to talk about what didn't happen yesterday. It was not transmission Tuesday. It was so disappointing for me. I tried to get a question up in question time about the hypocrisy of not coming here to talk about loss of native habitat for one thing or the other, but not for anything we want to talk about on loss of native habitat. That was quite disappointing for me, but there's a process you have to go through. For those listening at home, when you're part of a party you have to submit a question, which is considered by people who decide if it will be asked during question time. Senator Antic has submitted many fine questions that never see the light of day. He is the JK Rowling of unpublished questions over on this side. We are sitting here now, grabbing this time, filling in just another 21 seconds—

Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Give us something valuable, Ross!

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is invaluable—so that we can get to two-minute statements, where everyone gets a say. As Senator Ciccone would know, as part of this process, people can't speak twice. So, when you are told you need to jump to find a speaker, it can't be anyone who has already spoken or will speak, and that's part of the art of being a whip, and it does very well, and thank you very much.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now we have reached 1.30 pm, we'll move to two-minute statements.