Senator CHRIS EVANS (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (2:00 PM) —My question is directed to Senator Patterson, the Minister for Family and Community Services. Can the minister confirm that the 2003-04 family tax benefit reconciliation figures completed to the end of September 2004 do not include all families who had an FTB debt raised against them? Is it true that the minister has directed her department not to officially record an FTB debt where the per child supplement is greater than the amount of FTB debt? Does this not have the effect of concealing the true number of families who have been saddled with an FTB debt? Can the minister now indicate how many Australian families have been excluded from the September 2004 reconciliation figures, as a result of her attempt to cover up the problem, on top of the 67,000 families the figures reflect have incurred an FTB debt for the 2003-04 financial year so far?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) —I do not agree with the supposition that the honourable senator has made. Families are significantly better off under this government than they were under Labor and than they would have been with Labor's failed tax policy.

Senator CHRIS EVANS —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I do not know whether the minister has got any grasp of her portfolio at all, but I asked her a specific question about her own department's figures and I think we deserve a reply. I ask her again: has the minister directed her department not to officially record FTB debt where the per child supplement is greater than the amount of FTB debt? Why are the government trying to hide the true figure of those who have been affected by debt? Will the minister, if she does not know the answer, take the question on notice so people can at least understand what is going on?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) —Australian families understand very clearly what is going on. They understand that they are $600 per child better off as a result of the increase of the $600 supplement—$600 per child, per annum, per financial year better off. In addition, they had $600 more in June last year per child because of sound economic management. That is what families in Australia clearly understand.