Dr EMERSON (2:57 PM) —My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the practice of Melbourne based government MPs using VIP aircraft to fly from home to Canberra at the start of sitting weeks, particularly the Treasurer, who used this service at the start of sitting weeks between January and June 2003. Will the Prime Minister abandon this wasteful extravagance and direct the Treasurer and other MPs to take the readily available commercial flights instead, like all other travelling Australians, or will they continue to take `Lib Air', their own personal airline?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —I will have to consult the Minister for Defence, who of course has ministerial responsibility. I will not presume to try and answer with the detail—because I do not know it—without checking the facts. But the member has obviously raised an issue, and I am very happy to investigate it. Let me make a couple of observations. It is my understanding that there are planes which sometimes carry a number of cabinet ministers from Melbourne at the beginning of a week. I do not think there is anything unreasonable in that. I also understand that on occasions—and I could be wrong—there are Perth and Adelaide specials which carry members on both sides of the parliament.

The opposition has decided to raise this matter. The opposition having raised it, I will see that it is fully investigated. But I want to make the point that over a number of years and under governments of both political persuasions there has been a reasonable understanding that in proper circumstances special purpose, or VIP, aircraft should be available. Recently the Leader of the Opposition—as was his right—requested permission from me to take a special purpose aircraft to Papua New Guinea. I readily agreed with that.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr HOWARD —No, hang on; let us be fair. Can I just say—

The SPEAKER —The member for Charlton will excuse herself from the House, under the provisions of standing order 304A.

The member for Charlton then left the chamber.

Mr HOWARD —Let me be fair to the Leader of the Opposition. I did not ask my staff to seek an explanation from the Leader of the Opposition—and I remember these circumstances very clearly—as to whether there was a commercial flight available. If I had enforced the rules strictly, I would have said, `No, you get a commercial flight to Papua New Guinea.' But out of courtesy to the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds in this place, I immediately said to my staff, `Say yes; he can take a special purpose aircraft to go to New Guinea,' and I instructed my staff accordingly.

All I can say to the Leader of the Opposition is: you have started this. I will investigate the situation very closely. I believe that VIP aircraft should be available for proper use. I have never sought in the past to use this issue against members on the other side of the parliament, but seeing that the opposition has decided to get into this business I will investigate it. If the Leader of the Opposition wants the rules enforced more rigorously, as a consequence of allowing the member for Rankin to ask this question, that could well have consequences for the opposition.