Senator CORMANN (Western Australia—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Finance, Special Minister of State and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (14:18): I thank Senator Farrell for that question. As I indicated to the Senate yesterday, both the office of the Prime Minister and, for that matter, the Department of Finance have an administrative role in relation to these appointments. In relation to the finance department, incidentally, that is an administrative role that they have in relation to all staff employed by members and senators, whether in government or in opposition. As far as the appointments of staff in Nationals ministers' offices and other Nationals members' offices are concerned, as I indicated yesterday, my advice is there is an overall allocation of staff—there's a staffing pool—that is allocated to Nationals ministers. These are decisions that are made by the National Party. As the Deputy Prime Minister advised in a statement again today, he did not discuss these matters with the Prime Minister or his office as Vikki was not his partner, so they were dealt with in the usual course of staff deployments and appointments within the National Party. Senator Farrell: A point of order, Mr President: there was a quite specific question there. I won't repeat it—you don't like me repeating questions—but I would ask you to ask the minister to answer the question that I asked him. The PRESIDENT: I can't instruct the minister how to answer the question. You've taken the opportunity to remind him of your question. Senator CORMANN: Again, as I've said, the Nationals are responsible for decisions relating to staffing in the offices of Nationals members. The Prime Minister's office has an administrative role in informing the Department of Finance of changes, and all ministers, of course, are bound by the ministerial standards. The Deputy Prime Minister explained his circumstances. The PRESIDENT: Senator Cormann, please resume your seat. Senator Farrell? Senator Farrell: The minister obviously has a prepared answer for a different set of questions. My question was a simple and straightforward one, and I request that you ask the minister to give us an answer. The PRESIDENT: As you know, Senator Farrell, I can't instruct a minister how to answer a question. You've taken the opportunity again to remind him of the terms of the question. I remind the minister of the terms of the question asked, as you have just done. Senator CORMANN: Senator Farrell clearly doesn't understand the answer that I'm providing to him. I've confirmed— The PRESIDENT: Senator Carr on a point of order. Senator Kim Carr: Mr President, on the question of relevance: the opposition has asked a direct question as to what instrument—what instrument? There has been the exercise of legal authority in regard to the appointment of staff. We're nowhere near answering that question. 'What instrument?' is the question. The PRESIDENT: Senator Carr, the minister is being relevant to the question asked. I can't instruct him on how to answer. I've let you remind him of the question, but can we please allow the minister to go for a few more seconds before another—following my ruling. Sorry, Senator Cormann. Senator CORMANN: Thank you, Mr President. I reject the premise of the question. I've confirmed that the Prime Minister has an administrative role in informing the Department of Finance of changes in employment arrangements. Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting— Senator CORMANN: Well, I've just indicated to you that the Prime Minister has an administrative role, which of course he fulfils. But the decisions in relation to employment arrangements for Nationals ministers are made by the National Party.