Senator CASH (Western Australia—Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Employment and Minister for Women) (14:47): Senator Sterle, as I have already stated, all of us here take the safety of all road users, including truck drivers, very, very seriously. While obviously acknowledging every death and serious injury on our roads is shocking, it is also important to note, and you would know this, that the vast majority of crashes involving heavy trucks are actually not the fault of the truck drivers themselves. The heavy vehicle industry is a focus of work for Safe Work Australia and health and safety regulators in all jurisdictions in order to reduce the high numbers of fatalities in that industry. Senator Jacinta Collins: Mr President, a point of order: again, the minister is failing to answer the question. She has been asked to confirm these very alarming statistics. The PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, the minister is also allowed to address the facts in the question, and I think the minister is being directly relevant to the question as it was asked. Senator CASH: Again, the important point to note here in particular, Senator Sterle, is that you are trying to put a spin on statistics. The point I'm making is that every death— Senator Cameron: You are a disgrace. Senator Sterle interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Cameron, please cease interjecting while one of your colleagues is on their feet. Senator Sterle: Mr President, a point of order: I take absolute disgust at that line of answering from the minister. She should be ashamed of herself saying that I'm trying to spin road deaths for a political gain. The PRESIDENT: That is not a point of order, Senator Sterle. There's an opportunity to debate answers after question time. Senator Wong: A point of order, Mr President, on direct relevance: we accept your ruling in relation to Senator Sterle, but he is expressing, I think, appropriate frustration. The minister— Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting— Senator Wong: On direct relevance, as I started, Senator Macdonald. Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order on my right! Senator Wong has the call. Senator Wong: Thank you, Mr President. There was only one question: it was asking the minister to confirm this government's own figures about the increase in the number of articulated-truck crash deaths. I suggest to you, Mr President, that the answer today has not been directly relevant to that question. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, I heard the minister directly address, on a number of occasions, deaths in truck accidents. I consider that to be relevant to the question as asked. Senator Cash, there are four seconds remaining. Senator CASH: The point I was making, again, is: it is important to note that the vast majority of crashes involving heavy trucks are not the fault of the truck driver. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, a final supplementary question?