Mr HARDGRAVE —My question is addressed to the Minister for Administrative Services. In addition to measures already announced, has the minister achieved any further cost savings in the running of government?

Mr JULL —Yes, the government did make a pre-election commitment to control growth of ministerial staff. I am pleased to announce that the government now has 294 positions approved for ministerial staff, and this is in comparison with the previous government's approved establishment of 364 positions—a saving of 70 positions.

The government has abolished the National Media Liaison Service and the ministerial media group maintained by the Labor government. As we announced the other day, there is only one consultant's position instead of the 40 that there were under the previous government. I am pleased to announce that the saving in direct salary and related costs for staff is $4.075 million.

There have been some further savings too in ministerial accommodation. The previous government had a tendency to establish ministerial offices in their electorates. I understand that on most occasions the cost of constructing and providing those offices was about $100,000 each. Under this particular government, I am pleased to announce that 20 of the ministers will in fact be taking existing accommodation in Commonwealth parliament offices. Only six ministers have taken ministerial offices in their own electorates. Two ministers in the government have no office outside Parliament House—that is, the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs.

Now we come to the position of Sydney. In terms of the Commonwealth parliamentary offices, we are going to fully utilise what is there. Most members of this House would not realise that in 1987 the then Labor government actually undertook a major upgrading of the Commonwealth parliamentary offices on floors 8, 9 and 10 to provide prime ministerial facilities, a cabinet room and offices for ministers.

I did some research on this and found out that the average cost of providing a fit out for that sort of arrangement in Sydney at the time, in 1987, was $1 million. Unfortunately, the bill to the taxpayers of Australia in 1987 was $6 million, and when you go through those particular premises you can see why. Caesar and the Imperial Court looked after themselves very well indeed—the most magnificent cedar panelling, the most magnificent brass taps, which I understand cost $200 each. They even had mahogany toilet seats. I suppose that was appropriate for the imperial style of the previous government. This government will not carry on like the Labor lushes, and the costs of this particular government are going to be kept to an absolute minimum.