Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. When did the minister first become aware of the need for expansion of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and Townsville Field Training Area as part of the military training agreement with Singapore? Was it before or after the 2 July election?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The signing of the memorandum of understanding with Singapore that set out the agreed parameters of the increased training access Australia would offer, on 13 October 2016, represented the formal agreement by both countries to the scale of the increased access Singapore would be offered. Following that signing, it was then possible for Defence to begin the process of obtaining a detailed master plan and getting that process underway, through which the precise requirements could be clarified, and to begin engaging with stakeholders.

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

Oh, you're not going to tell us?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just did.

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

Did you know before or after—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We cannot just talk across the chamber, Senator Wong. Minister, have you concluded your answer.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When did the minister first become aware that the Department of Defence was considering compulsory land acquisition as a part of the expansion of the training areas? Was it before or after the 2 July election.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said in my previous answer, the details around acquisition of land were confirmed in the signing of the MOU with Singapore on 13 October 2016. That was the formal agreement by both countries to the scale of the increased access Singapore would be offered.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Point of order, Senator Wong?

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

On relevance. The minister is avoiding the question. She was asked about her knowledge: when was she aware? When was she aware that the DOD was considering compulsory acquisition?

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's your point of order?

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

Relevance.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, you've made your point. Sit down.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Macdonald!

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

You're actually not the President.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Wong!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on both sides!

Senator Wong interjecting—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Order, Senator Wong and Senator Macdonald! On the point of order, Senator Brandis.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relating to the point of order, Senator Wong persistently screams across the chamber at backbench senators. It is most disorderly. I understand that this is a robust chamber. I understand that a degree of badinage between both sides of the chamber is tolerable and acceptable. But the constant stream of screaming across the table by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate at coalition backbench senators is quite beyond what is tolerable parliamentary conduct.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Brandis. Senator Gallagher, on the same point of order.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I will not delay the Senate, but what an extraordinary response from Senator Brandis there. The screaming is coming from the Liberal Party backbench over to this side of the chamber. We put up with it every single question time, from Senator Macdonald to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. It is constant. It is every question. It is every day that we sit, and he is the one that should be brought to order.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Gallagher. Senator Macdonald, on the same point of order.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, Senator Wong has a reputation, and has had ever since she became Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, of screaming shrilly across the chamber. I try to help her by bringing her to order. She ignores you, Mr President, and the sooner you can throw her out for her disobedience of the President the better the—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Macdonald.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! I do not need any further assistance on the point of order. Senator Cameron, unless you are going to really assist the chamber—

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, on the point of order—I hope it does assist the chamber—I hope you advise Senator Macdonald that it is not his job to do that. It is your job, not his.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cameron.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on both sides! It is a timely point now to remind all senators—and there is no innocence at any point in this chamber—that interjections are disorderly. Senator Brandis made a key point: that there are times during question time where robustness is tolerated, but to a minimum. Interjections have become a bit disorderly. Senator Cameron's point was that it is not up to other senators to advise senators how their behaviour should be conducted during question time, or other times for that matter. I would just ask all senators to consider their behaviour in the chamber. As I have mentioned before, we have the public watching us, as we do today, during live coverage of question time. We have people in the gallery, and often we have school groups here. I think our behaviour needs to be reflected upon and I ask all senators to consider that.

I thank senators for their contributions to the points of order. As for the substantive point of order raised by Senator Wong in relation to Senator Payne, Senator Payne, in fairness, was only a quarter of the way into her answer. I remind Senator Payne of the question.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not recall specifically how much of the response I started on, so I will commence again. It was the signing of the memorandum of understanding, which I believe I said before, with Singapore that set out the agreed parameters of the increased training access that Australia would offer on 13 October 2016 which represented the formal agreement by both countries—

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

When did you become aware?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to the scale of the increased access that Singapore would be offered—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Minister. Senator Macdonald, on a point of order.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In spite of your warning to all of us, including Senator Wong, she has immediately started interjecting on Senator Payne. Now, Mr President, I do ask that you do something about the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate—

Senator Wong interjecting—

and she is even doing it now.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on my left! I remind senators again about interjections during questions asked and answers given, and I again remind senators to just reflect upon who watches the conduct in this chamber. Minister.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I said the signing of the MOU with Singapore, which set out the agreed parameters of the increased training access that Australia would offer on 13 October 2016, which was the signing date, represented the formal agreement— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, a final supplementary question.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unfortunately, we will have to probe a bit further to get an answer on that. What does the minister have to say to Mr Alf Collins, a landowner in the affected area, who yesterday told Queensland media, 'The same people that were on TV and radio saying what wonderful people they were for us have lied to us so many times. They have deceived us by omission; they have deceived us by silence'?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, I heard part of Mr Collins's observations yesterday afternoon myself. I indicated at the time that, in contrast to those opposite and the approach they took to an issue like this some years ago, at Cultana in South Australia, where, six months before they decided to compulsorily acquire land, they published an advertisement in the local paper indicating to landowners that that would be the case, the Department of Defence on this occasion took the approach of communicating with local landholders, corresponding with them by mail and holding 76 meetings with 186 or so landowners and businesspeople during the period after the signing of the memorandum of agreement with Singapore, which was an entirely appropriate thing to do. It could hardly be dealt with before the signing of the memorandum of agreement with Singapore.