Mr CREAN (2:40 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Finance and Administration, and it follows from his answer to the earlier question in relation to the Reith telecard file note. Minister, if your department was not aware of this file note, doesn't this mean that your department was not the customer referred to in it? Doesn't it also mean that this matter was not part of the police investigations into Minister Reith and was therefore not being considered by either the Federal Police or the Director of Public Prosecutions? If you are unable to provide this information now, will you undertake to provide it to the House before it rises tonight?

Mr Andrews —Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under standing order 144 I submit to you that this question is entirely out of order because the questioner is debating the issue and, secondly, the question contains nothing but argument.

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Menzies has raised a point of order on the way in which the question was structured. I concede that the question was advancing an argument; so do a number of questions asked. I allow the question to stand.

Mr FAHEY (Minister for Finance and Administration) —I would firstly make this comment: there was an article in the Herald Sun this morning. It may well be speculative; it may well not have any substance in it. The Department of Finance and Administration pays every member's and senator's bill. I would deem that that suggests that the department is the customer. The department has absolutely no knowledge of the statements that were made in that article on any file notes.

On the second part of the question, I have no idea what matters the police investigated—and nor should I; nor should anyone. They will conduct their investigations as they deem fit and will deal with such matters in any investigation they are conducting as they consider appropriate. It is certainly not for me to determine what information or otherwise they should encompass in the course of any of their investigations. As I have already said to the House, I will make appropriate inquiries and, if there is anything to be added, I am more than happy to provide further information once those inquiries have been made. But, until they are made, I will not indicate how I may respond.