Mr KATTER (3:09 PM) —My question without notice is addressed to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs as the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services. Could the minister advise the House whether his department monitors industries whose imminent collapse could cause budgetary blow-out for his department? And if so, would the minister accept sugar industry representations to push a strategy of an adequate interim sugar levy to hold the industry until mandated ethanol—the no taxpayer cost, no consumer cost solution—comes on stream?

Mr ANTHONY (Minister for Children and Youth Affairs) —I would like to thank the member for Kennedy. I know he has a very keen interest in the sugar industry along with members in the coalition, including me. We have a large sugar industry. There are many issues and I certainly welcome the sugar package and the impact that it is going to have, and of course the restructuring package. A lot of these issues really are not within my portfolio jurisdiction. I appreciate the consideration that you have given me, member for Kennedy. We have had many good discussions on these issues before. As far as the role that Family and Community Services has, I know Centrelink in the past have played a very crucial role, particularly in the delivery of a lot of the programs in the previous sugar package. I acknowledge the work that they have done. Specifically regarding FACS, we do not have a team going into particular industries. We are normally asked to do that by other portfolios within the government. Without question, we stand ready to assist particularly with the sugar roll-out package. I am very glad that certainly the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister have been more than willing to listen to the concerns of constituents in Queensland, New South Wales and the small industry up in Western Australia when it comes to the welfare of those families in the sugar belt.