Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Finance and Deregulation) (14:00): I think Senator Evans's interjection, if I may say, is quite apposite. But I welcome a question from Senator Sinodinos. I also congratulate him on his appointment to the shadow expenditure review committee to oversight the work of Mr Robb and Mr Hockey. Clearly they need the oversight. The PRESIDENT: Senator Wong, come to the question. Senator WONG: I am happy to. I am asked about grants in ministers' own electorates. Can I make it very clear that this government has made significant reforms to improve whole-of-government transparency and accountability in grants programs. We established the guidelines in 2009 and the reason we did so is that we knew about the Howard government's inappropriate allocation of grants that occurred during their period in government, when the allocation of grants was clearly skewed towards Liberal and Nationals seats. I do not think anyone who was an observer of politics or was involved in politics could forget the 'regional rorts' program—a program where grants funding was blatantly skewed— Senator Brandis: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. As you are well aware, the minister is required to be directly relevant to the question. The question asked whether there were any ministers who had failed to report cash grants in the past two years. That can only be a request for the names of ministers and, if so, who were they? There is nothing the minister has said in response that is directly relevant or even vaguely relevant to the question asked of her. The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order at this stage. The minister has 57 seconds remaining to answer the question. Senator WONG: Thank you, Mr President. The guidelines are what is relevant to the answer here and what is relevant to the question, and Senator Sinodinos would know that. As I said, we implemented the first ever comprehensive guidelines established at the Commonwealth level to ensure transparency— Senator Abetz: Can we talk about ministers? Senator WONG: It is the guidelines which are relevant to the answer. The ANAO has assessed— Senator Abetz interjecting— Senator WONG: Will you settle down? The ANAO has assessed the implementation of these guidelines. Senator Abetz does not seem to understand this. Senator Abetz: I understand it very well. Senator WONG: Senator Abetz does not understand. The Audit Office has noted positively for the first time that the government's expectation for ministers, agencies and officials when performing duties in relation to grants administration was clearly articulated. In the latest report, the ANAO examined some 800 ministerial briefs and identified out of the 800 only 33 cases of underreporting of grants in a minister's own electorate. Senator Brandis: Mr President, you have given this minister enormous latitude. She has two seconds to go. She was asked to name the ministers. That is all she was asked. You have given her latitude for a minute and 58 seconds. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! On both sides! Senator Brandis is entitled to be heard and I am entitled to hear him. Senator Brandis: The minister has taken a minute and 58 seconds to criticise the Howard government and to speak in general terms about the guidelines. She has two seconds to go. It cannot possibly be right to say that she is entitled at this late stage in the question to avoid coming to the question—that is, name the ministers. Senator Jacinta Collins: Mr President, I rise on a point of order. If Senator Brandis refrained from such spurious points of order and listened to the answer that the minister was providing, she gave some general background as to the guidelines and their history and then went to the number of cases. If he had listened he would probably have heard his full answer. The PRESIDENT: The minister has two seconds remaining to address the question that has been asked by Senator Sinodinos. Senator WONG: The Audit Office has identified 33 cases out of 800 of underreporting. (Time expired)