Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (14:00): Thank you, President. I think that's a record, even for Senator Henderson; I hadn't even opened my mouth and apparently I was a disgrace! Senator Cash: Compared to you, Senator Watt! Senator WATT: It didn't take Senator Cash and the opposition long to do what they love doing most, which is to keep workers' wages low. The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, order! Minister Watt, please continue. Senator WATT: As I was saying, it didn't take the opposition very long to revert to type, to revert to their happiest place, which is keeping wages low and keeping productivity low. Because of course— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. I'm waiting for order. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: They don't like being reminded— Senator Henderson: Stop smiling! Senator WATT: I'm smiling because we have a government now that is actually committed to getting wages moving again. And do you know what? That's a good thing! Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order on my left! Minister Watt. Senator WATT: I think it says a lot about the opposition that rather than smiling about workers' wages going up, they frown, they scowl and they yell. That's because the one thing that— Senator Cash: Real wages continue to go backwards! The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order! This is disrespectful of the Senate. I have had to call order constantly and we are two minutes in. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: So, yes, I am smiling about the fact that we've got wages moving again. I am smiling about the fact that already this government's workplace relations reforms— Senator Henderson interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Henderson, I named you at the beginning of question time and you have just continued to disregard my requests that you refrain from constant interjections. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: So, yes, I am in my happy place, and I think that the Labor Party are in our happy place, where we're actually getting wages moving again. And it turns out that's what the people of Australia wanted! In fact already, due to the reforms that— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Cash. Senator Cash: Thank you, my point of order is in relation to relevance. The question— Government senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Just a moment, Senator Cash, please resume your seat. Calling for order also applies to the right-hand side of the chamber! I have a senator on her feet, raising a point of order. She is entitled to be heard in silence. Senator Cash, please continue. Senator Cash: I have a point of order in relation to direct relevance. The question was very specific: I asked the minister to identify one measure in the bill that will improve productivity in Australian businesses. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Cash. There has been so much disorder since you asked your question, I think it has been very hard for the minister to actually get to the substance. I will remind him of your question, but I would also ask that senators on both sides of the chamber listen in silence. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: Senator Cash, I don't have to refer to one measure only in this bill that will lift productivity; the entire package is going to lift productivity in the workplace. That's because something that eluded the opposition for the 10 years they were in office was that cooperative workplaces are productive workplaces. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator WATT: Cooperative, safe workplaces are productive workplaces. Senator Cash interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, I just called the chamber to order, and the minute the minister was on his feet you continued to interject. Minister Watt. Senator WATT: But I'm happy that at last, after 10 years of government, it took returning to opposition for the opposition to actually care about productivity, because their uncooperative, conflict based workplace relations system delivered the lowest decade of productivity growth that we have had in 60 years. That's what your program of workplace relations did: low productivity, low wages. We're turning that around. The PRESIDENT: Senator Cash, a first supplementary?