Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition for their detailed set of questions and I also thank the member for Boothby from the government side. I had always intended, as I did last year in this process in the Main Committee, to listen to all of the questions from the members who chose to ask the government questions in the consideration in detail stage of the appropriation bills. My intention was to listen to all of those questions or comments, to sum them up as best I could, and to give answers as best I could in this next part of the process. There was never any intention on my part to obfuscate or avoid answering questions—in fact, quite the opposite. It was always my intention to carry out exactly the same system that ministers usually adopt in this process, which is to hear all the comments and questions and then to try and give a comprehensive answer at the end of the process. I note that the member for Hindmarsh has entered the chamber. It seems that he would like to make a comment or ask a question, so I am happy to sit down briefly, if he would like. He can have a go and then I will try and answer his questions at the end.

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