Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:16): We are continuing to negotiate in good faith with the states, and I think Australians do want the states and the Commonwealth to work together to improve hospitals and strengthen Medicare. We are on the record as indicating we have made an offer of an additional $20 billion in hospital funding for the states, on top of record funding this year. We want to work with the states to finalise the National Cabinet agreement that they signed up to in December 2023, and we have put a very serious offer on the table. An extra $20 billion over five years would bring the total Commonwealth funding to public hospitals expected over the new five years to a record $215 billion. We'll continue to negotiate in good faith. We will do our part— The PRESIDENT: Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston. Senator Ruston: On direct relevance, my question went specifically to a letter that the Prime Minister sent to the states and territories seeking to have them reduce funding in public hospitals. I was wondering if the minister might go to that. The PRESIDENT: The minister is being relevant to your question, Senator Ruston. Senator WONG: The correspondence that you refer to involved precisely the negotiation that I'm describing and precisely the offer of an additional $20 billion that I'm referencing, so it is entirely relevant. What I was going to go on to say is that we will do our part by contributing to increased activity and increased funding. Obviously, the states do have to play their part too, to make sure their health systems are efficient and well run. As I said, we'll continue to negotiate in good faith. We've put a substantial additional contribution on the table, and we look forward to the states continuing to engage with the Commonwealth in good faith. The PRESIDENT: Senator Ruston, first supplementary?