Mr NIKOLIC (Bass) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the number of days that have elapsed since the last successful people-smuggling venture to Australia? Mr Bowen: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Minister for Communications still had time left for his answer. I do not believe he had concluded it and the member for Bass rose, presumably, to take a point of order and has now asked a question. The SPEAKER: Had the minister completed his answer? The minister had completed his answer and the member for Bass was on his feet. Mr Bowen: No. Madam Speaker, on a point of order. The member for Bass rose while the member for Watson was still on his feet making a point of order. If he was standing to raise a question then he was out of order at the time. In accordance with precedent, Madam Speaker, you should have called a member of the opposition to ask a question. The SPEAKER: The fact of the matter was that the member for Bass was on his feet when there was no member from the opposition standing to ask a question. The member for Watson had already resumed his seat when I called the member for Bass. Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, on a point of order. The minister was interrupted during his answer for a point of order. You ruled on the point of order and at that point the minister has the call again. You did not call the minister, but after ruling he was entitled to the call. You simply moved on with no notice to the House. We are entitled to know whether the minister has concluded. Normally, the moment the Prime Minister concludes, we stand up! We had no reason to believe the member for Wentworth, the Minister for Communications, had concluded. The SPEAKER: I am sorry that the Manager of Opposition Business seems to think that there is a need for clairvoyance to understand when a minister has finished his question. Quite clearly, he has indicated that he knows when the Prime Minister has finished but he does not know when the Minister for Communications has finished. The fact is the member for Bass has the call. Mr NIKOLIC: My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the number of days that have elapsed since the last successful people-smuggling venture to Australia? What level of support exists for the government's strong border protection policies?