Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) (15:04): Thank you, Senator Green. It is always interesting what we hear— Senator Birmingham: I raise a point of order under standing order 73(2). The chamber has spent extensive time today already debating specifically the Help to Buy scheme. There have been many questions on housing that have not gone specifically to it during question time; however, the question just asked does specifically go to it and goes to that scheme at a time when it is before the chamber on this very day. So, whilst this standing order might be quite narrowly interpreted, I believe it is definitely within the grounds for you to interpret this question as being out of order. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Birmingham. I'll go to Minister Wong. Senator Wong: On the point of order, President, it does say something that the coalition doesn't even want to talk about the fact that we're doing this— The PRESIDENT: Minister Wong, what's the point of order? Senator Wong: but I'm sure that Senator Watt can answer appropriately, recognising that this is a matter before the Senate. If the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is saying that this might actually be an open question before the Senate, that certainly would be news. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Order! I am advised that the answer to that question should not go to the general provisions of the bill but can certainly explore the policy parameters. So I will continue to listen closely to the minister's answer and I would invite him to continue his answer. Senator WATT: I know the coalition doesn't like to ask me questions, but I'm pretty offended that you won't let me take questions from the government about topics as well, especially when they're about matters as important as housing in Australia. Now, the Albanese government understands that working- and middle-class families in the suburbs and the regions are doing it tough right now— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order! Minister Watt, please continue. Senator WATT: We understand that working- and middle-class families in Australia's suburbs and regions are doing it tough right now. Take, for example, a young family living on the outskirts of Cairns or Nowra, earning $100,000 a year, unable to buy their own home, stuck in the rental market and seeing homeownership fall further out of reach—but in the meantime they look at the people who they think of as their so-called friends, the friends of the regions, being the members of the coalition. What have they done to help families in places like Cairns, Nowra, the Hunter and all those other parts of regional Australia? They've done absolutely nothing. They have voted against our Housing Australia Future Fund, they've voted against rent assistance and now they're trying to prevent people buying— (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Green, a second supplementary?