Mr DUTTON (5:20 PM) —I am happy to clarify the question for the sake of the minister so that he can directly address that particular quote, because the reality is that the confidence in business and consumers has been falling since November. It certainly fell in the quarter that the minister spoke of. The response so far from the Australian Retailers Association has been that the anecdotal advice from their members following the budget in May is that they expect a further dip, on my understanding, over this quarter as well. I would ask if the minister could confine his remarks to the confidence which has fallen in relation to the federal government, particularly since they have taken control of the Treasury and, in particular, since the May budget was delivered.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. Peter Slipper)—It is a matter for the minister to confine his remarks as he wishes.