Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:17): The position is precisely as I indicated. The National Energy Guarantee has been designed to ensure that Australia does meet its Paris targets. As you know, Australia has committed to a 26 to 28 per cent reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 which, as you should also know, represents one of the most ambitious per capita emissions reduction targets of any country in the world. The advice the government has received from the Energy Security Board—Dr Schott, Ms Savage, Mr Pierce, Audrey Zibelman, Paula Conboy, the five people who have more expertise in this field than any other five people in this country— Senator Wong: Poor old Dr Finkel! Senator BRANDIS: is that the scheme they have designed, which the Prime Minister announced yesterday, will result in that very outcome. I will take that interjection, Senator Wong. The PRESIDENT: A point of order, Senator Whish-Wilson? Senator Whish-Wilson: A point of order on relevance, Mr President. I was very clear. I asked what the year-by-year reductions would be to meet our Paris agreements and I asked the minister to explain, if he doesn't have that answer, why he doesn't have that answer after five years of energy policy chaos and uncertainty. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Whish-Wilson. I will remind the Attorney-General of the question. Senator BRANDIS: Senator Whish-Wilson, that's what I'm able to tell you. I'm able to tell you that this model has been designed in order to meet the Paris targets, and it will meet the Paris target. Senator Wong, you interjected before, 'Poor old Dr Finkel'. This is what poor old Dr Finkel, as you patronisingly called that gentleman, Senator Wong, had to say yesterday: What we now have, and for the first time, is a strategy … We've previously had some tactical responses, we've had some policies to try and bring all these together— The PRESIDENT: Senator Whish-Wilson, a point of order? Senator Whish-Wilson: An additional point of order on relevance. Perhaps I could suggest something a little bit different: that Senator Brandis defer to Senator Birmingham if he doesn't know the answer to that question. The PRESIDENT: That's a matter for the Attorney-General. In addressing the point of order, the Attorney-General did remark that he was giving you the commitment to the Paris Agreement in his previous answer. But, yes, I do take the point that he is now addressing Senator Wong. I would remind the Attorney-General to address the question and not the interjection. Senator BRANDIS: I'm taking the interjection, as I think I'm at liberty to do. Dr Finkel went on to say: 'What we have now, and for the first time, is strategy. We've previously had some tactical responses, we've had some policies, but by bringing all of these together we're finally taking Australia's energy future, backed up by gas and other elements of the electricity system, into a strategic zone and that's a great thing to see.' We welcome Dr Finkel's endorsement. The PRESIDENT: Senator Whish-Wilson, a supplementary question.