Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

If you do not change it then the position stands. If you have three voyages planned and you find out through circumstances that come before you that you need seven—I asked the question, 'Could you change it?' and you answered yes. That is the position you have. You have now confirmed that you are not changing that position, so that is the position of the government. That is where we are. That is why we have a committee stage. It is now clearly on the record that this is the position. You have reaffirmed it. We needed five. Then we did not need five because we had three and needed seven. You can apply for it. The answer was yes.

Then you went back to a generic statement about five. Now you have gone back and confirmed your agreement to the statement 'yes'. Now we have four positions in 15 minutes. This is why you have to keep the committee stage going—because who would know your position? How is it that you are running the country? This is a simple piece of legislation. It is not that complicated. We are looking for a simple answer to a simple question. In 15 minutes we have had four different positions. It goes beyond comprehension. When are we going to get some competency? You now have two different positions before you. You have given them both. You have the position of, 'Yes, you can change to seven voyages through the middle of the year and that is all right'—even though you knew at the start that it was only three. Then you said, 'No.' Then you were back to yes. Which is it, Minister?