Mr CREAN —My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Minister, have you seen this statement by the Australian Automobile Association:

To ensure pump prices do not rise in any country town, the government should reduce petrol excise by 8.9 cents a litre.

Deputy Prime Minister, given that you have admitted that the 7c a litre figure in the GST package is open to change, do you agree with the Automobile Association that the only way you can keep your promise on pump prices is to cut the excise by even more?

Mr ANDERSON (Deputy Prime Minister) —I think I made it quite plain the other day that the 7c was only ever indicative and that we would set the price at the time that we moved to the new arrangements. I think that is quite simple. So the level at which the excise will be reduced will be determined on the basis of the price of the fuel at that time. I cannot think of anything more simple.