Senator MASON (2:07 PM) —My question is to the Acting Minister for Finance and Administration, Senator Abetz. Given the Howard government's commitment to the principle of obtaining the best value for money for taxpayers when renting property, is the minister aware of any examples where the Commonwealth is not getting value for money? What does the government propose to do about this?

Senator ABETZ (Special Minister of State) —I thank Senator Mason for the question. On Monday of this week I unfortunately misinformed the Senate when I said that the Labor Party were ripping off taxpayers for $25 million for the rental of Centenary House. I apologise. In fact, over the life of the contract, the amount is closer to $36 million. That is not the total value of the lease. That is the amount above market rates that the taxpayers of Australia will have to pay over the 15 years of the lease. This is just a Labor rip-off, and they will do nothing about it. Yet, according to figures used by Mr Beazley himself, for $36 million you could get 2,160 heart bypass operations or 2,880 hip replacements or 432 new portable classrooms. Wouldn't this be a better use of taxpayers' money than Labor feathering their own nest? Where is their affected concern now? Where is their famed compassion? In this year alone, Labor will get an extra $2.2 million because of their rent rip-off—that is, 176 hip operations. Mr Beazley refuses to address the immorality and indecency of this Labor rort. Where is his social conscience on this one? Where is Labor's compassion? The only bypass Labor are interested in is bypassing public scrutiny and probity. The feigned concern for classrooms has given way to concern for Labor headquarters. And concern for hip replacements has given way to hypocrisy and Labor's own hip pocket.

Senator Mason asked what can be done about this. Mr Beazley and Labor could show compassion for Australia's taxpayers. They could show some courage and leadership, some integrity, some decency. I have here a 50c piece, and I am willing to donate that to Mr Beazley so that he can make a phone call. Indeed, it might even be cheaper than that, courtesy of the local neighbourhood call, or indeed with Senator Bolkus's assistance it might even be a free call. I can even give Mr Beazley the telephone number, which is 6273 3133. All it takes is one telephone call from Mr Beazley and this Labor rort could be stopped and the lease could be renegotiated. The Labor Party has a history of feathering its own nest. We have it with Centenary House. We have seen it exposed by the McKell Foundation—the funny money for Mr Brereton. We have seen it with Markson Sparks. The Australian public should remember this: when Mr Beazley was last in power, Labor used every possible means to rort money out of taxpayers for their own benefits. Mr Beazley can put an end to the $36 million Centenary House rort by one simple phone call. But, as we all know, he does not have the ticker to do it. He cannot run his own party: he cannot run the country.