Senator McGRATH (Queensland—Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) (16:00): No. I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator McGRATH: There is no doubt as to where the Liberal-National coalition government stands on the future of coal and coal-fired power. This government does not support forced early retirement of coal-fired power stations. The government recognises the importance of maintaining an affordable and reliable baseload energy supply and the job security of those employed in the coal power industry. The government considers coal— The PRESIDENT: Order! Point of order, Senator Di Natale. Senator Di Natale: I believe Senator McGrath has just defied your previous ruling. The PRESIDENT: He is not debating the motion. I was very clear. He is putting the government's position. That's what he's doing. It's a statement. Senator Di Natale: Perhaps for the benefit of this side of the chamber, can you explain the difference between putting forward a position of a particular party and debating? I'm not sure I understand the difference. The PRESIDENT: Well, it is a difficult area, Senator Di Natale. But he's not physically debating or arguing a contrary position. He is putting the government's position, and the opposition have been doing the same. There are times when elements of debate can creep into that, but I'm asking senators to be very conscious, when they make statements, not to purely debate the issue. Senator McGRATH: The government considers coal to be an essential part of Australia's energy mix for the long-term future, including the consideration of high-efficiency, low-emissions coal technology. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the motion moved by Senator O'Sullivan be agreed to.