Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister for Arts and Attorney-General) (14:52): I welcome the opportunity offered by Senator Singh's question to explain to the Senate some of the initiatives within the Arts portfolio which the government has announced in the budget, because— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! I am waiting to hear the answer. Senator BRANDIS: Senator Singh, as you know as the shadow spokesman for the arts in this chamber, the arts budget covers a variety of different creative activities. Australia can be very, very proud indeed of its arts companies, its arts practitioners and its arts administrators. Senator Wong interjecting — Senator BRANDIS: And they do too, Senator Wong. I am delighted say they do. One of the initiatives that the government did announce as part of the budget—and this in a time of straitened financial circumstances, I might say, thanks to the legacy of Senator Wong and her colleagues on the opposition front bench—was an increase in funding to the Australian Ballet School to enable the Australian Ballet School— Senator Singh: Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was about the Get Reading! program. We know about Senator Brandis's bookshelves; we want to hear about why the government is cutting the reading program. The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, you need to come to the question. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! You still have 51 seconds remaining. Senator BRANDIS: I was just trying to put the question into context for the honourable senator, because the money that the Australian taxpayer invests in the arts, of course, is spread across a variety of genres. If I may, I did want to steal a little of the time to congratulate the Australian Ballet School on the additional $1 million— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator Moore: Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. We do value the contribution to the ballet. The specific question is about the Get Reading! program. Now we have 28 seconds. The PRESIDENT: Senator Brandis, at the 51-second mark— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator Conroy: We could buy every kid—you need to address the question, George. The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Conroy! At the 51-second mark, Senator Brandis, I reminded you of the question. You need to address the question. You have 28 seconds remaining. Senator BRANDIS: Thank you, Senator Singh for the opportunity. Now turning to the Get Reading! Program, Senator Singh, you should be aware from the questions you asked at estimates during the February estimates round that not all of the funds in the Get Reading! program had been allocated. In fact, most of the funds in the Get Reading! program had not been allocated. So, in seeking economies within the arts budget so we could fund beneficial things like the residence of the Australian Ballet School, we looked elsewhere— (Time expired)