Mr Kelvin Thomson asked the Minister for Finance, upon notice, on 26 February 1997:

(1) Has the Minister's attention been drawn to a report in the Melbourne Age of 17 February 1997 concerning statements attributed to a Senator McGauran in relation to the tendering for airport leases.

(2) Has the Minister provided (a) Senator McGauran or (b) Coalition Members of Parliament with details of the airport lease bidding.

(3) Has Senator McGauran or any other Coalition Member of Parliament made representations to the Minister (a) on behalf of any bidder or (b) concerning aspects of the tendering process for Melbourne Airport.

(4) What safeguards have been put in place by the Minister's Department to guarantee the probity of the airport leasing process.

Mr Fahey —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) I am aware of the article to which Mr Thomson refers.

(2) I have not provided (a) Senator McGauran or (b) Coalition Members of Parliament with details of the airport lease bidding.

(3) Neither Senator McGauran or any other Coalition Member of Parliament has made representations to me (a) on behalf of any bidder or (b) concerning aspects of the tendering process for Melbourne airport.

(4) Both the Government and the Office of Asset Sales (OAS) are very concerned to ensure the probity and integrity of the airport leasing process. Measures put in place by OAS to ensure that the probity of the process is maintained, include:

all bidders being made aware of the Government's procedures to protect the probity of the process at the commencement of tendering for the airports both in bid documentation and in discussions with bidders;

a requirement that all bidders and consultants to the process, including the Government's consultants, sign strict confidentiality agreements;

all confidentiality agreements were carefully checked before bidders and consultants were given access to confidential information;

as part of their bid, bidders were required to make statutory declarations that they had not engaged in collusive or anti-competitive behaviour, had not taken steps to obtain or use confidential Commonwealth or FAC information other than that which had been provided as part of the tendering process, and had not placed themselves in a position which may have or did give rise to a conflict of interest during the Phase 1 airports tender process; and

all bids and related documentation have been made available to key members of the Government Sales Team on a need-to-know basis only.