Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:05): Question time is the opportunity for the opposition and the Independents in particular to question ministers about their portfolio responsibilities, to examine issues of interest to the Australian people, allegedly to pressure the government— Senator Brandis: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. As you well know, all of the answer must be directly relevant to the question. Comments by the minister about the role of question time have no bearing, directly or indirectly, on the question that was asked. Senator Conroy: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The question can only be relevant to a minister's portfolio if it does not start off by containing a list of slanderous allegations. I think that turns it into a very broad question, and Senator Evans is well within the broad remit of that completely irrelevant question. The PRESIDENT: The minister has only been going for 15 seconds. The minister has 45 seconds remaining to address the question. There is no point of order at this stage. Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr President, I am just making the point that the opposition has the choice of making unsubstantiated allegations to try to smear various people or of actually focusing on the issues that are important to Australian families. They could ask us about jobs, they could ask us about the economy, they could ask us about health or they could ask us about education, but, no, they make a series of smears, a series of political smart-alec tactics. They have no interest in big policy debates. I suggest that the Australian people will judge the opposition very harshly. Senator Abetz: Mr President, I rise on a point of order: under sessional orders the leader of the government is required to be directly relevant. In relation to all that to which we have had to listen, it is a fact that the Prime Minister promised that there would be no carbon tax. That is not a smear; that is a fact, as were all the other elements. The PRESIDENT: This is now debating it. Senator Abetz: I would invite you, Mr President, to require the leader to be directly relevant as required by the sessional orders. Senator Conroy: A point of order, Mr President: I would invite Senator Abetz to read his own question, to see the pejorative and slanderous commentary that he included in his question. Let us be clear, this question is a very broad question, and Senator Evans is entitled to answer such a broad, ridiculous question as broadly and, frankly, ridiculously as he likes. The PRESIDENT: I am listening closely to the minister's answer. I did ask the minister before, when he had 45 seconds remaining, to address the question. I am asking the minister to continue. You have eight seconds remaining, Minister. Senator CHRIS EVANS: Mr President, the government is focused on meeting the needs of Australian families, growing our economy and delivering good government to them. That will continue to be our priority. (Time expired)