Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (15:03): Senator, you do not know much about the way arts funding works in this country, do you? Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting— Senator BRANDIS: Well, then let me illuminate you, Senator. Most of the arts funding provided by the Australian government to various arts organisations and arts practitioners is provided through the Australia Council. But a very large proportion of the arts funding provided to arts companies and practitioners by the Australian government is not provided through the Australia Council, it is provided through a variety of programs, and in each of those cases the minister for the arts makes an assessment and ultimately a discretion is exercised by the minister for the arts. That is the way arts funding has always worked in this country. Senator Abetz: Now that that is all cleared up, I asked that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.