Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance) (14:29): What I can confirm for Senator Sterle is that yesterday we implemented the policy we took to the last election. On this side of the chamber we understand that the budget is not a magic pudding. The Labor Party waltzed around the countryside for six years and they made promises left, right and centre, unfunded. We said to the Australian people very openly and transparently in the lead-up to the last election that we would scrap the mining tax, because it is a bad tax for the economy. It has hurt Australia; it has particularly hurt our home state of Western Australia, Senator Sterle. It has cost jobs. We said we would get rid of the mining tax and we also said we would get rid of all of the unfunded promises that Labor recklessly and irresponsibly attached to that tax. Yesterday, the Senate voted to support our election commitment to scrap the mining tax. Thank you very much to the senators, particularly in the Palmer United Party— Senator Moore: Mr President, I rise on a point of order to do with relevance. The question was quite direct; it was about small business tax concessions, and we have not got to that yet. The PRESIDENT: The minister has 59 seconds left to answer the question. I refer the minister to the question. Senator CORMANN: The reason the previous government made a complete mess of the budget is that they kept walking the countryside making promises left, right and centre without showing how it was going to be paid for, including to small business. The most cruel thing you can do is make a promise that costs money and imposes cost burdens on the budget, without actually showing how you are going to pay for it. We had this tax that was supposed to raise $4 billion in year one. Guess what? It raised 95 per cent less than that, and the five per cent it raised is being refunded— Senator Moore: Mr President, I rise on a point of order, again on direct relevance. The question was on small business tax concessions. The PRESIDENT: Minister, I remind you of the question. You have 26 seconds. Senator CORMANN: This government was so incompetent they spent all the money they thought would be raised by the mining tax before it had raised a zack. Then it did not raise any money. The mining tax is like the pub without beer— Senator Moore: Again, I raise a point of order on relevance. Regarding the small business tax concessions, a simple yes or no may be the answer. The PRESIDENT: The question asked for the minister to 'confirm'—and I am aware of the content of the question. The minister does not have to answer yes or no. The minister can answer in any way he likes, as long as he remains relevant. Senator CORMANN: Unlike the Labor Party, before the last election we were honest with the Australian people. We said that we would scrap the unfunded promises that Labor attached to their failed tax. We have done so, including in relation to the measure that Senator Sterle just referenced. (Time expired)