Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on the requirement for the minister to be directly relevant to the question. The minister was asked very specifically whether the cost of the carbon tax implementation will put the budget surplus in 2012-13 at risk. The minister has not gone anywhere near the question. We did not ask about any other risks; we asked about the very simple and single risk of the carbon tax to the budget surplus. I would ask you to draw the minister to the question.

Senator Fifield interjecting—