Senator CROSSIN (2:45 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. I refer the minister to her claim yesterday that Telstra had Mr John Utting on its payroll. Can the minister confirm that today she received a letter from Telstra expressly stating that neither Mr Utting nor his firm has any financial relationship with Telstra? Hasn’t Mr Utting confirmed this in a letter to Telstra today, which states:

Can the minister now confirm that Telstra has had only one pollster on its books in recent years; namely, the Liberal Party’s pollster, Crosby Textor? Will the minister now correct the record and apologise to Mr Utting, Telstra, the Senate and the Australian people for her false claims in question time yesterday?

Senator COONAN (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) —I do not know who Telstra have as their pollsters. Perhaps the Labor Party can ask Telstra who their pollsters are. They certainly do not tell me.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! I am not going to let the minister continue until there is order on the opposition side. It is your question time.

Senator COONAN —I do not have letters from either Mr Utting or Telstra with me. I understand from my office that there are some letters in my office. I would certainly wish to have a look at them before I make any response. Given the aggressive stance taken by Telstra towards me personally and towards the government, I think it only appropriate that I have an opportunity to consider the contents of any correspondence that might be addressed to me, and that is what I will do. If any correction is required, it will be made. I fully expect that what I will have received from Telstra is an unequivocal commitment that they will stop meddling with the Labor Party and meddling with the election, that they will retract allegations that they have made against me and that they will continue to behave like the major corporation they are and be completely out of the election as far as being a partisan participant.

Senator CROSSIN —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Isn’t it true that, in fact, yesterday the minister told the Senate in question time:

Why is it that when the minister cannot win the policy debate she resorts to bizarre personal attacks on Telstra in the parliament? Doesn’t the minister’s increasingly desperate and paranoid behaviour show her complete incompetence and the fact that she has lost control of her portfolio?

Senator COONAN (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) —Isn’t it extraordinary that Senator Conroy does not have the guts to ask either of those questions and gets poor old Senator Crossin to try to be uncivil in asking a question in question time. This just shows the pathetic approach of Senator Conroy and the Labor Party to telecommunications. They cannot win a policy debate, and all they can do is try to get into bed with Telstra and try to win an election by those means.