Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Minister for Finance) (14:15): I thank Senator O'Neill for that question. Let me say that the Liberal and National parties have for some time formed a very strong and effective coalition. What has happened this week, after the Liberal Party elected a new leader in Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister, is that we have entered into a new coalition agreement, as is usual process. I am pleased to confirm for the Senate that the agreement reaffirms and reconfirms, in the main, existing and pre-existing policies and pre-existing budget commitments— Senator Kim Carr: We want to know how much money? Senator CORMANN: I am going to get to that, Senator Carr. I am being directly relevant to the question. Senator O'Neill raises the particular— The PRESIDENT: Order! Just a moment, Senator Cormann. Senator Gallacher, a point of order. Senator Gallacher: I rise on a point of order. May I ask that the minister address his remarks to the chair. At least that way I will be able to hear his voice through the microphone. I cannot hear him through the side of his mouth. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Thank you. Order! If senators did keep the noise down, it would help. Point of order, Senator Wong. Senator Wong: Mr President, I raise a point of order on direct relevance. There were two parts to the question: was the minister consulted prior to this decision, and will he now disclose the cost of the decision over the forward estimates? The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, that is correct, but the minister has been directly relevant. He has been answering the subject matter of the question. The minister has more than one minute left in his answer. I call the minister. Senator CORMANN: Thank you very much, Mr President. In the agreement that was reached between our leader and the Leader of the National Party, Mr Truss, we have reconfirmed a whole range of pre-existing policies and pre-existing budget commitments. Of course, there is one feature in the agreement which relates to the additional support for lower income families, which has been part of a proposal that Minister Morrison has been discussing with Senator Canavan, Senator Bob Day and Senator John Madigan for some time. This is part of a revised families package, which will be budget neutral and which will be fully offset as part of the overall revised families package that is being pursued by the government. In response to the other part of the question, the net effect of any decision of government that has budget implications will be reflected in the half-yearly budget update later this year, which is MYEFO. That is the usual way. Senator Wong knows it and, yes, I have been involved in this process in the appropriate way. (Time expired)