My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Sherry, on the asset ownership and funding of the NBN—that is, the federal budgetary consequences. Given that the government has announced that it would spend $9 billion on a lease with Telstra, will the minister please tell the Australian people who would actually own the pipes and ducts noted by Senator Conroy? Will Telstra own them or will the Australian government own them?

Whilst I appreciate the question, Senator Joyce, the best advice I have is that it falls within the responsibility of Senator Conroy, either in his capacity as minister for communications or in his capacity in representing the finance minister. I am sorry I cannot provide you with an answer.

Order on both sides! I need silence so that I can hear Senator Joyce.

Mr President, on a point of order: that question is directly relevant to the minister’s portfolio. He should understand the budgetary consequences of a major government decision, surely, and I ask you to get him to answer the question. If he cannot answer it, get him to take it on notice.

Mr President, on the point of order, Senator Sherry did his best to assist Senator Joyce by pointing out that he had asked the question of the wrong person. It may come as a surprise to Senator Joyce but the minister responsible, Senator Conroy, has already answered two questions on this announcement today in this parliament and Senator Sherry quite rightly pointed out that the question should have gone to him. Senator Sherry did answer the question: he advised Senator Joyce that he had made another mistake and that if he wants to ask it of Senator Conroy then he ought to do so.

Senator Joyce, there is no point of order. The minister was given time to answer the question. The minister, in my view, answered the question. It might not have been the answer that you wanted, but, as you know, I have continually ruled that I cannot instruct the minister how to answer the question.

It was not that I didn’t get the answer I wanted; I did not get an answer at all. That is the issue. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question.

You asked the wrong person.

Order, Senator Conroy!

The minister is in this chamber and he should at least have some semblance of an idea about the major infrastructure project for this nation and how it will affect the budget. Seeing that Telstra will retain ownership of its ducts and pipes, can the minister please clear up Senator Conroy’s statement on radio this morning, where he said, ‘We don’t have an owner of the asset being a retail competitor’? (Time expired)

I think that Senator Joyce, through his supplementary, again reinforces my earlier comments that he does not know what minister to pose the question to. He has referred to Senator Conroy’s comments this morning, and it is appropriate that the question should have gone to Senator Conroy, in his capacity as Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and/or in his capacity as Minister representing the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. I do not represent the minister for finance in this place; I represent the Treasurer.

Order!

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. How is the government funding the potential $11 billion cost of this deal which is to be paid to Telstra? Isn’t this just a deal to solve a political problem by yet again extending our nation’s debt?

I draw Senator Joyce’s attention to the fact that some of his own colleagues have posed questions to my colleague, who I might say is doing a fantastic job after the weekend’s announcement. Senator Joyce’s own colleagues on the opposition frontbench—and backbench, for that matter—have posed questions to Senator Conroy about the financing and funding of the NBN, not to me in my capacity as Minister representing the Treasurer. I do not have those responsibilities or those representational responsibilities. They rest with Senator Conroy in his capacity as minister for communications.

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Surely, the Minister representing the Treasurer would have some idea about how the funding of the NBN is going to go. Surely, that has got something to do with the nation’s finances. Why can’t we get even a semblance of an answer out of the minister?

Senator Joyce, there is no point of order. I cannot tell the minister or instruct the minister how to answer the question.

I will be generous to Senator Joyce and not accuse him of doing a ‘Barnaby’, as his own colleague Mr Robb described him as doing a few weeks ago. Senator Joyce, rather than blame me— (Time expired)