Senator FAULKNER (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (2:11 PM) —My question is directed to Senator Hill, representing the Prime Minister. Minister, when was the attention of the Prime Minister's office drawn to a press article by Mr Andrew Bolt dated 23 June 2003 containing direct quotes from an ONA document classified top secret, AUSTEO? Why didn't the Prime Minister immediately refer this leak to the Australian Federal Police for investigation, as has been done on countless occasions for much more minor transgressions?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —I do not know when the matter was first drawn to the attention of the office of the Prime Minister—I will have to refer that question to the Prime Minister. In relation to whether the matter was drawn to the attention of the AFP, my understanding is that the matter was drawn to the attention of the AFP.

Senator FAULKNER —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, if Mr Andrew Bolt is to be believed when he says in his article of 23 June, `when I go through the only secret report that Wilkie ever wrote about Iraq as an Office of National Assessments analyst', did ONA make any attempt to urgently retrieve this top secret AUSTEO document from Mr Bolt? And, minister, if they did not, can you say whether the Federal Police have retrieved the document from Mr Bolt?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —I do not know whether ONA have been in contact with Mr Bolt. I will have to make inquiries. They may be prepared to tell me that or they may not; we will ask them. We will ask them whether the nature of the police investigation—and I don't think it will surprise Senator Faulkner to know that I have not been told the details of that investigation either. If Senator Faulkner wishes, I will ask the AFP, but I suspect they will probably tell me to wait until their inquiries have been completed.