Mr CREAN (2:54 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Given the defence minister's announcements last year that military pre-emption is the Howard government policy, does the minister recall the statement in the government's recent defence white paper which states:

Minister, are you aware of the State Department's definition, issued on 21 May last year, of those states responsible for state sponsored terrorism, which are listed as Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria? Will you now rule out Australia's military participation in any future pre-emptive war against these countries?

Mr DOWNER (Minister for Foreign Affairs) —First of all, I reject the proposition that the war against Iraq is a war which is anything other than a war which is legal under existing Security Council resolutions; that is that it is a war which is an enforcement of chapter VII resolutions of the United Nations Security Council—resolutions 678, 687 and 1441 in particular. Secondly, I do not think it will come as a breathtaking shock to any member, at least on this side of the House, but we do not actually have any plans to mount military action against Cuba, Sudan, North Korea or whoever. I never heard such a thing discussed.

Mr Howard —Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Howard —I point out that the opposition has had 10 questions.

The SPEAKER —Question time is entirely at the Prime Minister's disposal.