Senator CANAVAN (Queensland—Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and Deputy Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (14:33): I thank Senator Watt for his question. The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility has made very good progress over the last year. It has now funded just under $1½ billion of investments. Senator Watt: With $44 million released. Do you think that's good? Senator CANAVAN: I was the first to admit that it got off to a slow start. We were doing something innovative, something different, and it took a little while to get going. Senator Watt: Four years of slow starts. Senator CANAVAN: But, about 16 months ago, we made some changes to the investment mandate, which has unlocked $1½ billion of investments across northern Australia. That is going to create 2,400 jobs around northern Australia. Senator Watt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Canavan, please resume your seat. Senator Watt, you've asked a question. I have called you to order quite a few times this week. I will ask you to take a deep breath and not continue to interject for a little while after I call you to order at least. You've asked a question and I'd like to hear the answer. Senator CANAVAN: The approach that Senator Watt is suggesting is that somehow we should send the money out from day one of a project. This is why the Labor Party don't know how to manage money. As I've said, over the past 12 months— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Watt, on a point of order? Senator Watt: On relevance: I am mindful of your previous rulings, but he has not gone near the question, which is: how many jobs have actually been created? It is not how many will be one day, maybe, sometime in the future but how many have actually been created. That is the question. The PRESIDENT: On the point of order, that was the conclusion of your question, Senator Watt. I believe the minister was being directly relevant to the preamble that you outlined, which was the reason for expenditure being of a certain pattern. That said, I will remind the minister not to impute motives to the asker of the question in answering it, because that would not be directly relevant. Senator CANAVAN: A hypothetical senator who is making a point saying that we should somehow send all the money out on day one is the reason the Australian people do not trust the Labor Party with money. What happens, of course, is that money is provided to projects as milestones are met. When you are building a house, when the slab goes down, the builder gets a bit of money; when the frame goes up, he gets a bit more; when the roof goes on, he gets a little more. That is what is going to happen with this $1½ billion we are investing in northern Australia to get economic activity going. That is actually going to create 4,000 jobs in total; I was underestimating it before. That is 4,000 jobs over the next few years because we are taking the decision to develop our nation—to invest in parts of our country that are not as developed as the rest of the country but have huge opportunity. That is why I am very, very happy to see the progress that we have made over the last year. More importantly, jobs will be created in the years to come from these investments in remote parts of our country. The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt, a supplementary question?