Ms HALL —My question is directed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Does the minister recall his statement last year that the GST package will not increase the city-country petrol price gap? Does he agree with the evidence of the Australian Automobile Association that the GST package will increase the gap by around 10 per cent in most towns including Armidale—

Mr SPEAKER —No. The member for Shortland will come to her question.

Ms HALL —Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Cooma, Grafton and Queanbeyan?

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Shortland will resume her seat. I call the minister.

Mr McMullan —A point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr O'Keefe interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —Order! The member for Burke.

Mr O'Keefe —Give her a go!

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Burke will excuse himself from the House under the provisions of 304A.

The honourable member for Burke thereupon withdrew from the chamber.

Mr McMullan —Mr Speaker, I want to raise with you the question of your cutting short this member asking her question. It was in fact a very short question, half the size of many we have had asked from that side of the House. To make her sit down in those circumstances is most unreasonable.

Mr SPEAKER —It was indeed. The member for Fraser has raised his point and will resume his seat.

Mr McMullan —To make her sit down in those circumstances is most unreasonable.

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Shortland.

Ms HALL —Mr Speaker, to the minister—

Mr SPEAKER —No, no, I am sorry. The member for Shortland—

Ms HALL —Minister, can you guarantee that the GST package will not increase the city-country—

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Shortland will resume her seat because I have yet to rule on the point of order of the member for Fraser. I had called on the member for Shortland not to continue the process she was nominating in her question which was nominating places which were not immediately relevant to the question. When she continued to do so, I invited her to resume her seat. The member for Shortland has subsequently used my call on a point of order to complete her question, as I understand it. The member for Shortland.

Ms HALL —Mr Speaker, I believe that the completion of my question was cut off, and I ask your permission to finish it.

Mr SPEAKER —I will allow the member for Shortland to finish that question.

Ms HALL —Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, can you guarantee that the GST package will not increase the city-country petrol gap?

Mr VAILE (Trade) —I thank the honourable member for her question, and I stand by the comments that I made last year during the election campaign. I remember quite clearly the radio debates that we were conducting with the member for Hotham at the time on this particular issue. In fact, already this government's policies have seen the price of petrol in regional Australia fall. In my electorate alone, I am aware that the retail price of petrol has fallen from 79c to 72c. Apply the equation under our tax reform package to that, and it will fall even further.