Senator NEWMAN —I am concerned that I have, in answering a question today, misled the Senate. I am sure that it is important that all members of the opposition are present when I state what the correct situation is. I referred to Professor Gregory's report on nursing homes and the lack of capital funding that was available under the previous government.

Professor Gregory in fact referred to the 1988 introduction of a new funding formula by the Labor government and the 1991 budget decision by the Labor government to halve the level of costs provided for upgrading a nursing home. He estimated at that time that the upgrading of existing stock of nursing homes may cost as much as $520 million alone. So, although I inadvertently misled the Senate by relying on memory, in fact it makes the point even more strongly than the answer which I gave earlier.