Mr HAYDEN —Has the Acting Prime Minister had an opportunity to note in the Commonwealth-New South Wales Joint Task Force on Drug Trafficking report the quite apparently convincing evidence of linkages between Australian and American intelligence agencies and the Nugan Hand organisation through identities such as Michael Hand and Mr Bernard Houghton? Is he aware that more than 12 months ago, in a confidential briefing provided for me by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO assured me that no such linkages existed with ASIO and American agencies and that, in respect of the latter matter, ASIO was convinced of this because the Central Intelligence Agency had sent it a letter, in response to correspondence from it, hotly denying any such association? In view of the very disturbing evidence which has been produced in this Joint Task Force report and the substantial nature of that evidence, is the Minister satisfied with the information which was conveyed to me by ASIO? If, like me, he is totally dissatisfied with it, will he take prompt steps to have speedily investigated these particular matters referred to in this Joint Task Force report to ensure, in the first instance, that the operations of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation have in no way been compromised by any association with Nugan Hand or people associated with it and, in the second instance, that foreign intelligence agencies have not been behaving improperly through any medium such as Nugan Hand or people who have been associated with it ?

Mr ANTHONY —I have not had a chance to examine the Joint Task Force report which was released by my colleague, I think yesterday, but I have read of the reference in that report to people who were previously associated with the Central Intelligence Agency. It is true that statements have been made that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has had no association-nor do we believe that Nugan Hand people have had an association-directly with the CIA. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has already stated that he likewise does not believe that there has been any direct association with the CIA and accepts that some of these people have previously had associations with the CIA. Merely because they might have had earlier associations with it, that does not necessarily mean that they have been acting on behalf of or with the CIA.

Mr Hayden —Read the report.

Mr ANTHONY —There is an element of doubt. The evidence that has been produced by this Joint Task Force report will need to be examined more closely. No doubt there will be further debates in this House on the question.