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Now some questions on China's security deal with the Solomon Islands.

Morrison, asked about the timing of the announcement, says:

We're very aware of the influence that the Chinese government seeks to have in this country. We, in fact, introduced laws to prevent it. So any suggestion that the Chinese government doesn't seek to interfere in Australia - well, we didn't put that legislation in for no reason. We put it in there to ensure that Australian security could be safeguarded from foreign influence in our own country.

The Chinese government would say that, wouldn't they?

There are temporary measures that we put on the budget, longer term measures in the mid-year statement. It is a fairly common way that we do budgets ...

This is a longer term measure and it will start next calendar year. So the reason that we're talking about it now, normally we would make an announcement like that later in the year.