Senator PAYNE (New South Wales—Minister for Human Services) (14:17): I will take the more specific aspects of the last part of Senator Whish-Wilson's question on notice and seek some advice from the Minister for Trade and Investment. What I can say is that the government have made their position on the TPP process perfectly clear. We will not accept any outcome in the TPP that would adversely affect Australia's health system. We will not sign up to any international agreement that restricts the Australian government's capacity to govern in Australia's own interests, whether it is in the area of health care, the environment or in any other regulated area of the economy. The minister has also made absolutely clear that there has been extensive consultation in the process leading up to the TPP development. In fact I think we are now up to over 1,000 stakeholder consultations since 2011. That includes 150 with a broad range of stakeholders who are interested in public health issues, for example— The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock. A point of order, Senator Whish-Wilson. Senator Whish-Wilson: I have a point of order on relevance, Mr President. I specifically asked about the cost to Australian taxpayers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Whish-Wilson. Senator Whish-Wilson, right up-front in the answer to the question by the minister she indicated she would take the specifics of the question on notice and is enhancing the answer with her comments. The minister is in order. Minister. Senator PAYNE: Thank you very much, Mr President. Had I been able to finish the sentence, I was going to say that those thousand consultations included 150 with a broad range of stakeholders interested in public health areas. There were 50 in the past year. They included Medicines Australia, Choice, the Public Health Association of Australia and intellectual property experts. In fact, just for passing interest, it also included 14 consultations with the ACTU, for example, re the labour chapter of the TPP. The stakeholder consultations are invaluable in shaping our negotiating positions. I said very clearly when I began that the government will not accept a position in the TPP process that would adversely affect Australia's health system.