Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Minister for Finance, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:45): The Prime Minister stays very close in terms of monitoring the progress on delivering against these critical national defence infrastructure capabilities. He works to make sure— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, on a point of order? Senator Wong: Direct relevance: the minister may have spent most of his first answer talking about what happened almost a decade ago, but this is a very, very specific question about when the Prime Minister made a decision to intervene. I'd ask you to draw this minister to the question. The PRESIDENT: I've been listening to the minister for 11 seconds. I thought he was talking about the Prime Minister, so I'm going to actually— Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, 11 seconds in, I haven't heard enough to determine that where he is going is not going to be directly relevant. I have allowed you to remind the minister of the question, and I shall listen to the answer. Senator BIRMINGHAM: As I was saying, the Prime Minister and Minister Reynolds and every member of the cabinet are very focused on ensuring these projects are delivered to meet the naval requirements for the future. I don't accept all of the imputations in Senator Gallacher's primary question or indeed the fact that I'm going— Senator Keneally interjecting— Senator BIRMINGHAM: 'There's a report in the Financial Review,' I hear from Senator Keneally. Of course! We'll just run off media reports, shall we? No, what our government is focused on doing— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Birmingham. Senator Wong, on a point of order? Senator Wong: A point of order on direct relevance: when did the Prime Minister make the decision to intervene and call in the two senior Navy officers to examine the whole program? That is the only question we have asked. I ask this minister to demonstrate some accountability to the parliament and some observation of the standing orders and to be directly relevant. The PRESIDENT: The minister was referring to the quotation in the substantive question, which was related to this, I believe. Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: I cannot instruct the minister how to answer the question. At that point he directly said he did not agree with some of the imputations that this question was drawn from, I believe, which were in the quotation in the substantive question. So, as long as the minister is narrowly construed to that, I can't instruct him on the content of the answer. Senator Wong interjecting— The PRESIDENT: I am happy to take some advice, Senator Wong, after this and, if I am incorrect, I will happily report so to the chamber. Senator BIRMINGHAM: I'm sorry to break it to Senator Wong, Senator Gallacher or those opposite, but the Prime Minister and Minister Reynolds rely on a lot more than two senior Defence officers in relation to the delivery of these critical pieces of defence infrastructure. We are working hand in glove with Defence and with companies to get the assets our Navy needs. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Gallacher, a final supplementary question?