John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know I missed the jump, Mr Acting Deputy President, but I would like to ask the minister a very short question before he moves on to the third reading.

Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is leaving it a bit late, but if you would like to ask a question go ahead.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, I am happy to allow this to occur by leave. I think that is the only way it can be sensibly done. I do not want to stop Senator Boswell. It is very brave of Senator Boswell to be asking me a question about this bill, and I am very bravely going to take the question but I do think it ought to be done by leave in these circumstances when the third reading has been moved.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—While I in no way want to detract from the measures—in fact, I support the increase in childcare benefit from 30 per cent to 50 per cent—has there been any accommodation of the hundreds of thousands of mothers and grandmothers that stay at home and mind children without sending them to child care?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—That is an easier question than I expected from Senator Boswell because I can honestly say to him that the important question that he raises is well outside the scope of this bill, as I am sure senators would appreciate.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have asked this question many times and I hope that you can give me some help here. On the budget’s expanded definition of income—I know you have the advisers there—can you tell me how many residential aged carers will be worse off as a result of the salary sacrifice?

The Acting Deputy President:

Senator, this bill is about child care.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President, for your very wise counsel to Senator Boswell. The situation the chamber faces here is that the government—very generously, I think—gave leave after I had moved the third reading of this bill, to allow Senator Boswell to ask a question. I have to say, through you, Mr Acting Deputy President, that it would not have been unreasonable for the government to have expected—or me to have expected, in this instance—that perhaps the questions would have been in some way relevant to the bill before the chamber. They are not, and I suspect, Senator Boswell, it is not appropriate, on the third reading of this particular bill, to ask questions of that nature. But you know what a cooperative government the Rudd government is and, at the appropriate time, I am sure either I or another minister will be able to assist you with these important questions.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a third time.