Senator LUDWIG (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister Assisting on Queensland Floods Recovery) (15:00): It will not be difficult to be relevant to that irrelevant question. What we do have in foreign investment is important investment in rural Australia. Coal seam gas is primarily a state issue, but this government is taking the lead with the states and territories in investing to make sure that environmental consideration is at the forefront. If you take a look at the Murray-Darling Basin, for years the opposition have ignored that issue. This government has driven for an outcome for years. The Murray-Darling Basin has been overallocated with water and everyone has acknowledged that issue for years. If you look at the opposition, they did not look at how you develop food security for Australia. This government is taking the first actions of developing the first national food plan. Those opposite have not taken the lead on any of this. They remain focused on simply opposing investment in agriculture. They remain opposed to coal seam gas, which provides gas for the east coast and which provides income for farming communities. They remain opposed to the food plan. Senator Joyce: Mr President, I rise on a point of order, one of relevance. The question asked specifically what areas are actually going to increase our agricultural sector. Everything you have talked to thus far is things that will actually decrease our agricultural sector. The PRESIDENT: Senator Joyce, that is not a point of order. Senator LUDWIG: I do not accept the actual premise of the question that was put. R&D development has been a significant investment by this government right throughout its period since election in 2007. What those opposite would want to do, through their policies, is trash agriculture and trash rural Australia. They are not supporting rural Australia. This government has made significant investment in health and hospitals, in rural and skills all the way across— Senator Joyce: Mr President, on a further point of order on relevance, the minister said that R&D was very important, but the question asked specifically—and this is why it is relevant—'If you believe it is so important, why did you abolish it?' The PRESIDENT: Senator Joyce, there is no point of order. The minister now has 11 seconds. Senator LUDWIG: We looked at the Productivity Commission report and maintained R&D investment. Those opposite should actually look at our policy. He is misquoting it, he does not understand it and quite frankly he does not understand rural— (Time expired)