Senator CHRIS EVANS (Western Australia—Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:57): I understand the question to be: why did we not spend more money on the disability reform? Senator Kim Carr interjecting— Senator Conroy interjecting— Senator CHRIS EVANS: Given, again, the Howard government's record on this, it is a bit rich. I am very pleased to say that the budget included a strong commitment to the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, that we made a decision to bring forward the commencement of that scheme by a year, that the government allocated a very substantial investment in the commencement of that program. Government senators interjecting— Senator CHRIS EVANS: It has been very well received by the disability sector and the community more broadly. It has been recognised that the government has made a very serious attempt to deal with this long-standing neglect in the Australian community and the absence of appropriate support for people with a disability and their families and carers. We were hoping to have a bipartisan approach to this— Government senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Just wait a minute, Senator Evans. I am endeavouring to listen to your answer but there are people distracting on my right. Senator Evans, continue. Senator CHRIS EVANS: It is the case that it always falls to Labor to do the big social reforms and, just like we did with Medicare, this government is absolutely committed to driving the NDIS— Senator Fifield: Mr President, I rise on a point of order going to relevance. My question to the minister was: why, when the Productivity Commission recommended an allocation of $4 billion over the next four years, has the government committed $1 billion? The minister has not come close to answering that question. Government senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order at this stage. The minister still has 32 seconds. I am listening, when I am given the opportunity, as closely to the answer as I can—with the interference that is coming from certain people on my right, which is not appreciated. Senator CHRIS EVANS: I do not think anyone other than Senator Fifield has not acknowledged the serious commitment to reform the government has made to reform in this area. One billion dollars in this budget, at a time of a tight economic situation, is a very major achievement by the minister to make sure this is a priority for the government. And I point out that we have not followed exactly the Productivity Commission recommendations; one of the things we have done is bring it forward. We have actually begun the scheme a year early— (Time expired)