Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (14:24): Senator Brown, I actually have not read that gentleman's comments, but I can tell you that since the election— Senator Wong interjecting— Senator BRANDIS: Thank you, Senator Wong—the single pension has increased by $52 a fortnight and the married pension has increased by $78 a fortnight. The Leader of the Opposition, your leader, announced last week that he would vote against increasing the pension by an average of $780 a year or $30 a fortnight— The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock. Senator Carol Brown: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My question was in relation to the comments from chief executive Michael O'Neill from National Seniors Australia about whether the minister's cuts to the pensions are poorly thought through and unfair for middle Australia. If he has not read the comments, because he has not had even time because the committee inquiry was truncated, then he should sit down; I do not need a lesson from him. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Brown. The minister did answer the question directly up-front and the minister is entitled to enhance his answer, as has always been the practice, and he is doing so.