Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education and Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) (14:14): Thank you very much for your question. As has been made very clear by the Deputy Prime Minister and by National Party MPs and senators, we are going through our own internal processes to assess any commitment by the government towards net-zero 2050, and, in a respectful, calm manner, we shall make those views known to the Prime Minister. Barnaby Joyce is in those discussions as we speak. I think for anyone to cause us to rush that decision, to actually force our hand, when the momentous nature of this decision and the far-reaching impacts of this decision on the people we were sent here to represent haven't properly been assessed is us not doing our job. Senator O'Neill interjecting— Senator McKENZIE: Well, it's not just us. I will take that interjection from Senator O'Neill. It's not just us. I have some quotes here. There are a couple of Labor MPs who are from the regions. Joel Fitzgibbon, a fantastic member for Hunter, who has been on the record for— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie. Senator McKENZIE: Aww! The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, please resume your seat. Senator Watt, on a point of order? Senator Watt: I would have been on my feet a lot more quickly if it wasn't for that cord! The PRESIDENT: Don't get tangled up, Senator Watt! Senator Watt: On relevance: it's not about the process the government's going through—a very specific question as to when the Deputy Prime Minister was first told by Mr Morrison that he intends to move ahead with or without the support of the Nationals party room. That's the question, not anything else. We ask that we get a relevant answer. Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, please allow me to rule. Senator McKenzie has been directly relevant to the question. However, I detect you may be straying from that, Senator McKenzie. However, the bulk of her answer up until now has clearly been directly relevant, so I will remind Senator McKenzie of the question and ask her not to stray from it. But you have the call, Senator McKenzie. Senator McKENZIE: Don't stray! As I said, the National Party has been very clear what we're doing this week. We're making sure that rural and regional jobs will be protected, that we can ensure that any move towards net zero 2050 will ensure that the impacts won't be borne by the people that have sent us to parliament. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! On my left! Senator McKENZIE: It's actually the very essence of democracy— Senator Pratt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Pratt! The PRESIDENT: and, if those opposite actually remembered who they supposedly represent— Senator Watt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt! Senator McKENZIE: the blue singlet workers in this country, the foresters, the manufacturers, the miners—I tell you what, there are only two people in your political party who are actually sticking up for those workers, and it's Joel Fitzgibbon and Meryl Swanson. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Walsh, a supplementary question?