Mr MARTYN EVANS —My question is addressed to the Minister for Forestry and Conservation. Why did you allow your colleague Senator Minchin to mislead the parlia ment in relation to the Pangea proposal when he stated in the Senate on 1 December 1998, `There have been absolutely no ministerial level discussions with that company,' when you had in fact met with the Pangea company on 5 November 1998? Have you breached the Prime Minister's code of conduct by failing to correct the record as soon as you became aware of the fact that Senator Minchin's statement to the Senate was substantially incorrect and misleading? Why did you wait so long?

Mr TUCKEY (Forestry and Conservation; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister) —The code of conduct of the Liberal Party says first and foremost that we should give a hearing to all citizens of Australia and, what is more, the code of conduct of the Liberal Party says that you do not have to sign a piece of paper that puts the Labor Party above your own constituency as all of you have done. That is the first point. The second point is that I got a request through my office handled by one of my staff to give an interview to a respected United States industrialist. I did so and, what is more, I listened intently to what he had to say.

I might add that during the time that I have given interviews to people, I have had people coming in representing the interests of convicted criminals, as I am sure many of us have had on other issues of that nature. I give everyone a hearing. But, having done so, I then decide what steps I might take on the merits of their representations to put forward a representation to other ministers.

Having heard Mr Voss, I did not make any further representations to anybody, verbally or written, because I did not support the proposition that he put to me. It was not my responsibility as a minister. I therefore considered the matter closed. However, when Senator Minchin made the remarks he did, I was obliged to tell him immediately that he had made an error inadvertently and I stand by that. But, more than anything, there is a good reason Senator Minchin did not know. I did not see it appropriate to put any representations to him on the matter.