Mr MELHAM (2:12 PM) —My question is to the Prime Minister and follows on from the previous question by the member for Perth. Is the Prime Minister aware that Senate estimates late last week revealed that six million copies of the booklets have been printed, fewer than 180,000 booklets have been put into circulation and over 5.8 million booklets are sitting in warehouses awaiting distribution for use in seminars? How can the Prime Minister possibly justify such an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money?

Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) —I do not pretend to be, in answer to the member for Banks, aware of every word that was uttered at the Senate estimates committee and every answer that was given, but I have not disguised the fact that the government have embarked upon a public information campaign in relation to these measures. We regard them as important. We do not regard the public information campaign as being partisan. It does not involve any criticism of the Australian Labor Party, it offers not a word of criticism of the member for Banks or any of his esteemed colleagues and it is not in any way critical of the trade union movement; it merely explains the benefit of a long-needed, meritorious policy.