Mr IRONS (Swan) (14:09): Mr Speaker, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as Speaker by this chamber. Also, I am sure that there are many ex-students of Kerrimuir Primary School, which we both attended, who will be proud of what you have done. My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on the government's strong, credible, effective and fair approach to reducing carbon emissions? What would be the impact of alternative proposals? Mr Burke: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: there has for long time been a ruling in this place that questions asking for alternative policies were not part of a minister's responsibility. There is specific reference to it in House of RepresentativesPractice, and I ask that you rule out that part of the question—only that part at the end. Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: the question asks about alternative proposals, which cover not just the policies of political parties but all alternative proposals other than the government's suggested policies. Opposition members interjecting— Mr Pyne: So in fact the minister can range across a wide number of different proposals. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: To those opposite: I would like to hear the Manager of Government Business. Mr Pyne: The point I was making was that the question asks about alternative proposals, which of course means that the minister can range across all suggestions about emissions reduction schemes and the costs to the economy, not just the sensitivities of the opposition on this matter. Of course, there have been many years of precedence of these questions being allowed even if they asked about alternative policies. The SPEAKER: There have been many questions in this vein— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Members on my left, I want to be able to address the chamber without a cacophony of interjections. Thank you. I think, in the interests of free-flowing debate, I am going to allow the question. I think there should be free-flowing debate. It can be robust. I call the Minister for the Environment.