Senator WHISH-WILSON (Tasmania) (12:32): I seek leave to make a short statement. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator WHISH-WILSON: I make this statement to try and convince the Senate to support this motion. What person in their right mind would think that now is a good time to conduct a military exercise with US military forces in the Korean Peninsula? Honourable senators interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Whish-Wilson, resume your seat, please. The senator has the right to be heard in silence. I would ask all senators to respect Senator Whish-Wilson as he speaks. Senator WHISH-WILSON: The last year this exercise was conducted, the madman in Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb—tested an atomic bomb—as a signal to the US that they didn't appreciate this. Now is a very, very sensitive time. We have seen a clear escalation of tensions. We have seen provocation after provocation in North Korea. We saw some welcome de-escalation in this debate in the last 24 hours, where both sides have dialled back their rhetoric. Why are we going ahead and participating in a military exercise in North Korea at a time when every expert recognises that this is a very dangerous and volatile situation? Question negatived.