The Hon. ROBERT BROWN: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Roads and Ports, representing the Minister for Primary Industries. Is the Minister aware that, since the National Fish Strategy was launched in 2003, $70 million has been spent on providing fishways to improve fish movements in the Murray-Darling Basin? Is it a fact that despite this spending, more than half the native fish species in the Basin are still listed as threatened? What is the department doing to ensure the survival of native species in the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin?

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I thank the honourable member for his very good question. It is a lesson to those opposite that two members of the Shooters and Fishers Party can form a committee and formulate a proper strategy for question time. These are questions that affect the people of New South Wales. If members are nice and adept they get proper answers to—

The Hon. Amanda Fazio: Point of order: My point of order is that the Minister is debating the question not answering it. I ask you to remind him that his responsibility is to answer questions and not to debate them.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Previous Presidents have allowed some generality with Ministers' answers. However, I remind the Minister that he should not debate the question and that his answer should be generally relevant.

The Hon. Mick Veitch: I think you would make a much better primary industries Minister.

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: Flattery will get you everywhere. I will answer your questions after that flattery.

The Hon. Luke Foley: He couldn't make a worse ports Minister.

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: The Leader of the Opposition has quite a few bad former ports Ministers on his side of the House, as well as a couple of failed Ministers who lost their seats at the last election.

The Hon. Eric Roozendaal: Point of order: My point of order is relevance. The Minister is not within a bull's roar of the question—

The PRESIDENT: Order! There is no point of order.

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: The question is important. The Hon. Robert Brown and I share an interest in fishing in this area. The question involves the fishways, the Native Fish Strategy and the expenditure of $70 million. I do not have the details to provide an adequate answer. I undertake to ask the Minister for Primary Industries about the matter and I will come back with a definitive response.