Senator ROBERT RAY (2:08 PM) —I direct my question to Senator Hill, representing the Prime Minister. Has the Office of National Assessments advised the Prime Minister that all copies of the ONA document on Iraq authored by Andrew Wilkie, dated December 2002 and classified top-secret AUSTEO have been accounted for? Were all copies of this document returned to ONA by government departments and ministers' offices? Has ONA indicated to the Prime Minister whether a copy of this document was retained by Mr Wilkie? Did any department, minister's office or government agency request a copy of the document in the days preceding the publication of Mr Andrew Bolt's article in the Herald Sun?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —I have nothing to suggest that ONA has advised the Prime Minister in the terms of Senator Ray's question. I have not got anything from ONA on whether all copies have been accounted for. It seems to me that this is a matter primarily for ONA's concern—

Senator Robert Ray —Well, who's responsible for it?

Senator HILL —The Prime Minister is ultimately—

Senator HILL —You have had many years to answer these questions. You have now had seven years to practise asking them, so after seven years of practising asking them I would have thought you would await an answer. I have said that ONA obviously has some concerns, because it called in the AFP. The AFP is conducting some form of investigation. Obviously I do not know the details of that; that is an operational matter. No doubt the AFP will report back to the ONA and the ONA will then take such action as may be appropriate, and the action that may be appropriate could well include informing the Prime Minister that there are problems or that there are not problems. That is the purpose of the AFP investigation. Not wanting to avoid the issue, it just seems to me to be premature to try to conduct the operation for the AFP. It would be much better to wait until the investigation has been completed and then we will all know the results.

Senator ROBERT RAY —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The last part of my question does not involve an AFP investigation and can in fact either be answered now or be taken on notice. I repeat that part of the question: did any department, minister's office or government agency request a document in the days preceding the publication of Andrew Bolt's article in the Herald Sun? You might follow that up by answering: if such a document was requested, can we be assured that the relevant security measures were taken to make this document identifiable?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —If the question is, `Did one of these bodies request a document of the ONA?' then I can refer that back to the Prime Minister, who I am happy to concede is ultimately responsible as the portfolio minister for ONA.

Senator Faulkner —What a major concession that is!

Senator HILL —Well, there seemed to be some confusion on the other side. I am only trying to help. That part of the question I can refer to the Prime Minister. I have seen nothing to suggest that such a request was made by any individual or department in terms of the Bolt article, but I will refer that question to the Prime Minister.