Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (14:05): Regrettably, I am aware of an unseemly deal stitched up between the Greens and some other parties, including Labor, which manifests itself in the unprincipled and unprecedented motion to have the Senate inquire into the operations of the sovereign government of the state of Queensland. In the rush to cobble together the numbers for the inquiry, deals were struck which have now come to light, thanks to the boasting of Greens senator Larissa Waters in a media release which shows that they traded their support for this unprecedented inquiry in return for others blocking the government's mandate to remove duplicative green tape. The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock. Senator Moore, you have a point of order? Senator Moore: Mr President, I am seeking your advice as to whether the minister's answer is reflecting on a vote of the Senate. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Moore. I will listen carefully to the senator's answer. Minister. Senator ABETZ: I was reflecting on a deal, not on a vote. The duplicative green tape which we want to remove has hindered job creation in this country for far too long. The unseemly deal not only offends centuries-old parliamentary precedents and conventions; it also attacks the job prospects of 70,000 unemployed Australians. The coalition was elected on a clear mandate to fix the economy and create jobs. At the last election Labor promised not to do deals with the Greens ever again, yet immediately after the election Labor under Mr Shorten worked with the Greens nonstop to block every one of our job-creating initiatives—the repeal of the carbon tax, the repeal of the mining tax and bringing spending under control. And now there is the removal of green tape—a one-stop shop—which Ms Gillard and even Labor supported at one stage. If this deal remains in force, those parties supporting it will, according to BAEconomics, have 70,000 unemployed Australians hanging around their necks in 2025. (Time expired)