Just a few years ago our resource sector exports were below $180 billion. At the time there were people out there saying, 'This is the end,' and those opposite were saying: 'We don't need resources anymore. They're not important for our economy anymore.' Well, in the space of just a couple of years, our exports of resources and energy last financial year hit nearly $280 billion—so up nearly $100 billion in the space of just a couple of years. Read more

There are quite a few premises in that question that I fundamentally disagree with. The first and most important point to make is that the government is taking action to reduce Australia's carbon emissions and doing so in cooperation with the rest of the world. The best way we can respond, of course, to issues around climate change is to do so in unison and cooperation with the rest of the world, which we are doing. Read more

I too would like to honour the life of the Hon. Tim Fischer. Tim's penultimate speech to the House of Representatives was in response to a motion condemning the September 11 attacks. In his contribution Tim expressed his confidence that:       The United States of America will recover from this human tragedy … And he said he was:       … quietly confident … Australia will play its part and … do so in honour of those who have died, been injured and been so seared in a direct way … Read more

I rise to oppose the Great Australian Bight Environment Protection Bill 2019 because it's unscientific and would unnecessarily threaten the health and security of our nation. Read more

The Liberal-National government does recognise that, too often, changes have been made through the CASA regime that have imposed unnecessary costs with little or no safety benefit but that have come at a great cost to the aviation sector itself. That's why we have progressed changes to the CASA act through the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill that was passed through this place.  Read more

The federal government is investing $1.6 billion upgrading roads in the Northern Territory. It will improve mobility, it will improve access to tourism in the Northern Territory and it will improve business with lower costs and by helping attract investment and more economic opportunity into the Territory. Read more

It's great news that last week the Northern Territory government provided its first approvals for drilling in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, which is a part of the larger McArthur Basin. It is one of the most exciting resource opportunities in the nation. It is very exciting because it is Australia's first major shale, oil and gas project in Australia. Read more

I rise tonight to express my condolences on the passing of Paul Neville, a former member for Hinkler in the other place. Paul passed away in the early hours of New Year's Day earlier this year. We've not had too many sittings this year and I've been waiting for some time to pay my tribute to him in this place. Read more

I'd like to thank all the senators who have contributed to this very important debate on these very important bills. It's a historic occasion to mark our burgeoning relationship with Timor-Leste to see these bills pass through this place. Read more

Northern Australia represents about 40 per cent of our nation's continent in terms of landmass but it accounts for 60 per cent, or two million gigalitres, of the rainfall that falls across Australia in any year. Of course, its water resources are largely undeveloped compared to the rest of Australia.  Read more