Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (14:23): Thank you. Yes, I am the representing minister; that is a statement of fact. As the representing minister, what I can tell you is that the Albanese Labor government will be delivering cheaper child care for Australian families, something that your government did not do. As a result, 97 per cent of families in Australia will be better off. The PRESIDENT: Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes? Senator Hughes: A point of order on relevance. It was a very specific question: is it true it will go from 90 to 95 per cent for a family with $60,000? S enator Ciccone interjecting— Senator Hughes: Thanks, Senator Ciccone. You should be the minister! The PRESIDENT: I did remind senators yesterday, and I'll remind senators again today, when you call a point of order you simply state the point of order and then not get into argument or other statements. I do believe that the minister is being relevant. He has just started answering the question. There were a lot of interjections the minute he stood so it's quite difficult to hear him, but I am listening carefully. Thank you, Minister Watt. Senator WATT: Thank you, President. As I was saying, I'm very happy about the fact that the Albanese Labor government will be delivering cheaper child care to Australian families. Not just one family, not just two families, but 97 per cent of Australian families using the early childhood sector and childcare system will be better off as a result of our policy—something that you were not able to do in your first year, your second year, your third year, your fourth year, your fifth year, your sixth year, your seventh year, your eighth year or your ninth year. Senator Hughes: Point of order on direct relevance: it was a very specific question that the minister should be able to answer—families on $60,000 and $90,000 to $95,000. The PRESIDENT: Senator Hughes, there is no need to— Senator Hughes: It's not relevant— The PRESIDENT: Senator Hughes, you've asked me for a point of order. You may not agree with what I say, but I am the President. It's your job to make your point of order, sit down and then not further interject. Senator Watt, I would draw you back to the question. Thank you. Please continue. Senator WATT: Thank you, President. I'm happy to take the exact details of that question on notice for Senator Hughes. And I'm happy that she is showing an interest in this issue, because I don't remember any opposition senator ever doing anything to support child care in the way that the Labor government is doing. What I do remember is the now opposition copying the policy of Labor, then opposition, when it came to child care, but not delivering that policy in full, and for that reason, that policy—what was then your policy—left a lot of Australian families much more out of pocket than ours will. That's what I remember. Senator Hughes: A point of order on relevance: I ask you to direct the minister to actually answer the question. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Hughes. I will remind the minister. I note he has agreed to take the question on notice— Senator Hughes: He's finished his answer then— Senator Watt: No, I still have 30 seconds— The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Hughes, resume your seat. I am not entertaining any further points of order from you on this matter. I've directed the minister to be relevant. Minister Birmingham. Senator Birmingham: President, on the points order that have been taken, and indeed Senator Watt's assertion while you was speaking before, cavalierly, that he still has 30 more seconds, with a tone that apparently means he can say whatever he likes, just because he has taken the details on notice does not remove the obligation for him to be directly relevant to the question that has been asked and does not provide him with free licence to simply talk about the previous government. I encourage you to draw him back to the direct relevance of the question. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Birmingham. You might recall I was in the process of responding to the point of order raised by Senator Hughes and Senator Hughes took it upon herself to interject again so I have not been given the opportunity to respond. I will draw Senator Watt back to the question. And I would ask all senators to raise their points of order respectfully and to sit down when asked to do so. Minister. Senator WATT: Thank you, President. As I was saying, and I appreciate the opportunity to remind the chamber, all Australian families who use the childcare system will be better off under the Labor policy that we will now implement than under the policies that existed under the former government. It took a change of government to deliver the cheaper child care that Australian families so desperately need. There is one party that is delivering a cost-of-living benefit to Australians. It is Labor in child care and other areas. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Hughes, a first supplementary question.