Senator COLBECK (Tasmania—Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians and Minister for Youth and Sport) (14:11): I have to say again, the dishonest misinterpretation— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator COLBECK: or misuse of my words by Labor again, and the mischaracterisation of what I was saying yesterday, continues in the chamber. Senator Keneally is a master at this. In fact, she attacked the former CMO in a Senate inquiry over the use of language— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, I can anticipate it, but I am going to let you make your point of order. Senator Wong: A point of order on direct relevance: the response is not directly relevant to the question, which is a serious question about how many people have died as a result of neglect in aged-care homes for which this minister is responsible? The PRESIDENT: Senator Cormann on the point of order. Senator Cormann: The minister could not be more directly relevant. Just because he's not following the partisan political script that Labor would like him to follow doesn't make him irrelevant. The PRESIDENT: On the point of order: Senator Wong has a point on the minister turning to characterising other actions of the first senator who asked the question. That is not directly relevant. It is, however, directly relevant that the minister, immediately prior to that, was challenging the way a quotation was used to characterise a question. Turning to other conduct of a senator asking a question, however, is not directly relevant. But the minister is allowed to challenge the way the question was put. Senator COLBECK: What I did yesterday was to merely state a fact—to state a fact, Mr President—that about 60,000 Australians pass away in aged care every year. It is a sad fact. I don't believe that you could characterise, in any sense— Senator Watt interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt! Senator COLBECK: I don't think that you could characterise in any sense the question that Senator Keneally tries to imply— Senator Watt: It's a direct quote. They're your words. The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt! Senator COLBECK: Mr President, how do you classify what Senator Keneally is trying to pursue? There are 40 per cent of residents in aged-care facilities in this country who pass away with no visitors. Yes, the royal commission's report talked about neglect. It talked about the system that we have all— Senator Keneally interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order on my left! Senator COLBECK: that governments over a period of time have not built to a standard that it should be. That is the focus of this government. We want to see all senior Australians treated with respect in a healthy and safe way and ensure that all residential aged-care providers are providing aged care in a way that we all expect. The royal commission's report— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Colbeck! Senator Keneally, a supplementary question?