Mr BEAZLEY —My question is to the Minister for Forestry and Conservation. Are you aware that the Premier of Western Australia refused yesterday in state parliament to confirm your story to this House that he had told you on Saturday that the state government had no plans to change the RFA and add more reserves? Did the Premier refuse to confirm your story because you didn't accurately reflect either the tenor or outcome of the meeting, or did he refuse because he won't fess up in his own state to his failure to achieve what he promised the people of Western Australia—to change the RFA and add more reserves?

Mr TUCKEY (Forestry and Conservation; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister) —The press reporting, of course, is slightly misrepresented in the question, and that is not an unusual event. My reading of the press reporting was that the Premier made no comment, but the Deputy Premier then announced to the parliament that the Premier had told him that they were not changing the arrangements. All the evidence I note in the media is that the Western Australian coalition has resolved an issue that represented some difficulty for them. There was clearly very vigorous debate within their party room and their cabinet on the issue. It is pretty clear from today's press reporting, I am pleased to say, that the Western Australian government did what people of honour would always have done, and stuck to their agreements and stuck to their policy. In this House that is easy to differentiate. There is our side and there is their side. This is the side that can be identified as sticking to policy and promoting policy in a way that creates both jobs and conservation, in this case according to the national forest policy statement.

Mr McMullan —Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the extract from the Hansard that will give the accurate picture of the circumstances.

Leave not granted.