Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:00): by leave—President, these are quite farcical arrangements outlined by the government. It's a farce of the Prime Minister's own making in the way in which he chose to structure his own ministry. There are just four Senate ministers here. There are just four Senate ministers in the Senate. The last time a government had only four ministers in the Senate goes all the way back to 1940. Back then, the Senate had only 36 senators in total, not the 76 there are today. There were only 16 ministers back then, not the 30 there are today. Senator Watt: Ask a question! Senator BIRMINGHAM: I do have a question, Senator Watt, that relates to the ministerial statement: why doesn't the Prime Minister have any faith in the other 22 Labor senators to have made any of the rest of them ministers? On a serious point—it's all serious, but this is particularly serious—because there are only four ministers and the Prime Minister chose to put the foreign minister and the trade minister in the Senate, we've now had the unfortunate situation where Senator Farrell as trade minister has had to return early from China, rather than see out the mission he was undertaking. To finish the farce of these arrangements, Senator Farrell, who was just in China, is sworn to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio but is apparently not the minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. So, not only does Mr Albanese not seem to trust any of the 22 other Labor senators to sit as ministers, but—Don, why doesn't Penny trust you with Foreign Affairs? Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order across the chamber! Just a moment— Senator Bilyk interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Bilyk, I have already called you once. I am very reluctant when leaders of parties— Senator McKenzie interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie, I also called you on numerous occasions. I am always reluctant to ask leaders of parties to sit down when they are making an address. I would expect when party leaders on their feet that the chamber behave accordingly, and that is with respect and in silence.