Mr HOCKEY (North Sydney) (14:11): My question is to the Minister for Resources and Energy. I remind the minister of his statement yesterday that the Treasurer 'should take a good, hard look at himself'. Was he referring to the Treasurer's handling of the mining tax, which has had three different versions and five different costings, or is he referring—to use the minister's own words—to the 'character assassination' of the member for Griffith? Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The House will remain—or become—silent so that I can listen to the Leader of the House on his point of order. Mr Albanese: I submit to you, Mr Speaker, that the second half of that question is clearly out of order as it does not go to the minister's responsibilities. Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: it is a longstanding precedent in this place that ministers can have their words put to them and simply be asked whether they stand by them. The Minister for Resources and Energy has made those statements and he has a responsibility to either stand by them or repudiate them in this place. The SPEAKER: My principal dilemma is whether I rule the whole question out of order on the basis that half of it pollutes the whole or whether in fact I direct the minister to answer the first part of the question. I invite the minister to answer the first part of the question, and he will disregard the second part.