Senator BERNARDI (South Australia) (15:07): I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Wong, to questions asked by Senators Brandis, Cormann, Birmingham and Bernardi in question time today relating to the Olympic Dam project. There are times when one can be slightly embarrassed for their fellow senators—and today was one of those times for many South Australians. That is because during Minister Wong's bilious diatribe against the coalition side, who asked some genuine and probing questions with regard to Olympic Dam and the decision by BHP Billiton to delay or to stop any further investment in an expansion of that, she mocked and derided the fact that only two South Australian senators asked her questions about it. Well, let me just say this: not one, single Labor or Greens senator asked any questions about perhaps the most profound economic decision by a single company in my state's history. Senator Edwards: In Australia's. Senator BERNARDI: Probably in Australia's, as Senator Edwards said. You can perhaps excuse the Greens on some level because yesterday, as a $30 billion investment in South Australia—which would have generated hundreds of millions of dollars worth of proceeds to government and led to tens of thousands of jobs and 100 years of economic prosperity, according to the former Labor Premier of South Australia—the Greens cheered. They cheered at the delay of it. They cheered because it was not proceeding. It was one of the most nauseatingly self-serving cheers that I have ever heard in this place—followed only by Senator Wong's triumphant sneering that South Australians on this side of the chamber were not asking questions. Well, not one Labor senator did either—and that is a shameful fact for all South Australian senators on the other side of the chamber. I know there are two of them sitting here now ready to defend their minister—about whom they can secretly only be embarrassed about, as the rest of us are. And the embarrassment is compounded by the complete lack of a coherent, thoughtful or considered response by Minister Wong. We on this side of the chamber have had four years worth of experience as Minister Wong has plodded through a number of portfolios—without distinction—but today was shameful. I asked a very simple question. I asked: will the minister simply confirm whether the carbon tax makes it cheaper for BHP Billiton to pursue the Olympic Dam expansion or more expensive? I only met with abuse. I only met with abuse because Senator Wong was not prepared to answer the question. This should concern all of us, because not only is this chamber meant to get answers to very straightforward and simple questions; it was a question that the minister has spent four years preparing herself for. She went to Copenhagen as the climate change minister. She stood by as her Prime Minister told an abject and wilful lie to the Australian people before the last election and she defended the breaking of that promise that was made before the election. She scrapped the citizens assembly, the cash for clunkers and everything else. She stood by and celebrated as the head of the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howse, said that not one single job will be lost because of this carbon tax—and he put his house on the line. But we know all about houses and the Australian Workers Union, don't we, Mr Deputy President? We know all about that. It would not be his house; some poor flunky who has been paying his union dues for all these years would have been subsidising his house through one of these slush funds—and, according to the Prime Minister, whom I might say was young and naive when she said it, all union bosses have slush funds for their re-election. And we are about to hear from a couple in a moment. For a start, Senator Farrell, is going to get up. Maybe he can enlighten us about that and his credit card usage. Senator Edwards interjecting— Senator BERNARDI: That is exactly right: Senator Farrell, have you ever had Bill the Greek come and do a fence for you? That is what we would like to know. This is perhaps the most significant thing that has happened in South Australia. A lot of South Australians have got behind this project. But it was dismissed in such a cavalier manner, when this is so clearly an impact of Australia becoming a high-cost jurisdiction. No matter how polite BHP Billiton may want to be because they are scared of the retribution of this vindictive and nasty government, the fact is that if wage costs are going up and the cost of capital is going up and if you have got additional taxes, mineral resource rent taxes and carbon taxes, being imposed, the cost of the Olympic Dam expansion is going to go up as well. They have simply made a decision, with a limited amount of capital, and said: 'We will invest it where we will get the best return.' Unfortunately for all South Australians it is now going offshore thanks to this government.