Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:10): I thank the senator for her question and I invite the senator to refer to Senator McCarthy's contribution earlier today, which went through the approach that the government is taking to closing the gap. I say to those opposite that I know that it is probably a little too hopeful in this period of the electoral cycle, but it is very apparent to me the extent to which there is much less bipartisanship around the statements today than I've seen previously. The PRESIDENT: Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Cash? Senator Cash: It is a point of order in relation to relevance. The question was quite specific. It was in relation to the benefit of mandatory income management, whether or not the government had now realised that benefit and whether or not they should—it's just a point of order of relevance. The PRESIDENT: You will recall that Minister Wong referred to Senator McCarthy's answer to previous questions, which did cover off on some of those things, but I will continue listening carefully and, if the minister is not relevant, I will draw her to that point. Minister Wong. Senator WONG: The Albanese government is delivering a long-term plan to reform income management. First Nations people and other stakeholders have called for a measured approach to reforming income management, and decisions must be made in partnership with them. I'm advised that, over the last two years, the government has consulted with about 4½ thousand community members and 250 stakeholders across 81 communities, and communities have told us that they would prefer a longer transition period to move onto voluntary income management to ensure people are well supported to make this change. I'm also advised that the government has been working in good faith with the Northern Territory government and that the Prime Minister has had—it might have been the minister, actually; I think this is a brief from her—productive discussions with the Chief Minister. I understand that income management has not changed in the Northern Territory since the previous government, and the same rules around income management apply in the NT as have existed since 2007. The PRESIDENT: Senator Liddle, first supplementary?