Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:38): What I would say about the Future Fund, as we have confirmed in this discussion today, is that the assets held by the fund are about $70 billion—I think it is around $75 billion—and I suppose the opposition could fill their budget black hole by selling the entire of the Future Fund. That could be their approach to fiscal policy, given that they have yet to have a set of costings that add up. I make the point that we have traversed this is great detail. Those opposite continue to make assertions around the Future Fund that are not true. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! If you want to debate this, debate it post question time. Senator WONG: Given the $70 billion black hole those on the other side are saddled with, let me say that this government, with a clear and sound fiscal strategy, will be making a contribution well before the opposition ever could— Senator Fifield: Point of order on relevance. The question was: given that the government have not contributed a single dollar to the future fund, when do they think it is likely they might? Senator Conroy: On the point of order, Senator Wong is clearly addressing the question. She is clearly addressing what is probably the broadest question you could possibly put on the table— Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Senator Conroy, resume your seat. If you want to debate it, I understand someone has decided to take up the offer to debate it after question time, and that is the appropriate time. Not now. Senator Conroy: The question was so broad that Senator Wong's answer is completely within the ambit of the question. I ask you to dismiss this point of order on relevance on the basis that Senator Wong is being absolutely relevant to the question. The PRESIDENT: The minister has 58 seconds remaining to answer the question. Senator WONG: Given that we do not have the $70 billion black hole that those opposite have, our budgets will be in a much better position than theirs. But I would make this point, because I think it is an important one: those opposite seem to have forgotten something called the global financial crisis. It is extraordinary, isn't it? This economic event has caused major advanced economies to have levels of unemployment in excess of nine per cent, unlike Australia, where the unemployment figure has a five in front of it. It has occupied the policymakers and the leaders of the United States, Europe and all the major advanced economies and the developing economies. And yet they on that side seem to believe that it never happened. They never had a policy for it— (Time expired)